THE CHOCOLATE SHORTAGE

Growing demand in the face of disorganized producers

Synopsis

A chocolate crisis is looming. The cocoa tree is a fragile and low-yielding tree. The plantations are rustic and aging. Producing countries are often unstable and poorly organized. However, investments are pouring in because of heavy speculation in the face of a dramatic increase in Chinese and Indian demand.

Starting from the harvests on the red lands of Madagascar and the Ivory Coast, we investigate the pressure exerted by middlemen, the heft of the trading rooms of London, the strategies of industrial groups from Abidjan to Switzerland, and, finally, the consequences on chocolate makers and consumers.