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Chocolate may just be on the road to extinction

Chocolate is everyone’s favorite sugar treat but that may end soon if things don’t improve.

Experts predict the world could run out of chocolate within 40 years because cacao plants which have the major ingredient for chocolate are struggling to survive in warmer climates.

The cocoa trees can only grow within approximately 20 degrees north and south of the Equator and they thrive under specific conditions such as high humidity and abundant rain.

But a temperature rise of just 2.1C over the next 30 years caused by global warming is set to wreak havoc on the plants and the worldwide chocolate industry. This causes the mercury to rise and also squeezes more water out of soil and plants which even with rainfall is unlikely to offset the moisture loss.

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Another factor is that fungal diseases, like Frosty Pod Rot and Witch’s Broom, which succeeded in wiping out cocoa production in Latin America still continues to plague West African producers of cocoa. It has therefore discouraged farmers from going into cocoa farming which is in turn affecting the size of the supply.

The cocoa shortages have contributed to drastic price hikes which can be seen between 2012-2014 where the average price of chocolate rose 60% and will likely continue to rise as shortages grow.

Although experts are predicting that chocolate will become extinct, most likely they are in fact wrong about their predictions. Chocolate will most probably still exist in stores but it may eventually become something of a luxury for people as it turns unaffordable.

The solution for diminishing supply of cocoa is complex

Candy companies are teaching their cocoa suppliers about sustainable practices, attempting to develop more drought-resistant cocoa trees and researching different methods for combating the disease.

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Unfortunately, cocoa seeds take at least two years to produce fruit. Because of their long growing time, it can be difficult to select desirable traits and weed out bad crops. For this reason, it makes it more difficult to engineer disease-resistant cocoa seeds.

Mars, the $35 billion corporations best known for Snickers, pledged $1 billion as part of an effort called "Sustainability in a Generation," which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of its business and supply chain by more than 60% by 2050.

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