The Cost of Making Chocolate
Chocolate has known many names and forms over the centuries. The earliest form, Cacahuatl, was consumed by the Mayan elite as a beverage that included maize and other spices and was touted for its medicinal properties and nutritional value ("Bitter Chocolate", Carol Off 2007). It was seen as more valuable than gold bullion at the time. During World War 1 chocolate was part of the soldier’s rations to enhance their caloric intake and provide energy for their war efforts. As children in Canada, we enjoyed Hershey’s and Cadbury chocolate treats. They were so sweet and yummy and so affordable! This sentiment was clearly illustrated in a song composed by a group of children protesting the cost increase of chocolate in 1947, ‘We want a five cent chocolate bar; Eight cents is going too darn far; We want a five cent chocolate bar, We want a five cent bar.’ ("Bitter Chocolate", Carol Off 2007). In the 80’s and 90’s the cost of chocolate was more than a few cents, but we could save our change and our allowances and indulge in a chocolate or candy bar regularly.
This step-pyramid, El Castillo, also known as the temple of Kukulcán, is located in the centre of Chichén Itzá, which was one of the largest of the Mayan cities and is located in what is now Yucatán State, Mexico
Today things have changed again. In this country we have a variety of chocolate options including the brands of our childhood, and some better organic and fair trade chocolates, such as Zazubean, Camino, Just us, and Green & Blacks, as well as a multitude of bean to bar chocolates that purchase their cacao beans using ethical direct trade with the cacao farmers. As a small batch bean to bar maker, I am part of this community and together, we believe farmers deserve to make a living wage for the time consuming and temperamental crop that is cacao.
The farmer must nurture the tree for at least five years before it produces cacao. The farmer must maintain a biodiverse environment for the cacao tree to thrive and ward off pests. A lack of rain, or too much rain at the wrong time, and record breaking temperatures are becoming regular occurrences. These climate fluctuations have made the farmers' work more difficult, unpredictable and frustrating. This has been reflected in the cost of cocoa this past year. This past year cacao prices have been in the news as prices have skyrocketed from US$3,602.00 per tonne in July 2023 to US$9,666 per tonne in 2024 (www.ca.investing.com). For producers and makers of chocolate and chocolatiers the cost influx has been astounding and very hard to absorb without changing our recipes and/or increasing our prices.
There are many reasons for this price hike. The reasons I will speak to in this blog are climate change and buying habits. As we have seen throughout the last few years, the climate has been changing and is becoming more erratic. I live on the East Coast of Canada and we've noticed much warmer temperatures in summer and our winters are less cold and snowy. Our winters start later and the cold snaps come later.
Cacao grows only in the region between 20 degrees north and south of the Equator. The weather in this region has been as tumultuous anywhere in the world. Some countries have had extreme droughts and other have experience torrential rains. New pests and disease are arriving with the shifting climate, bringing devastation to the cacao crops. For a successful crop of cacao, the weather must follow a dedicated pattern of heat, prolonged rain and wind or a monsoon season. Without these conditions, the cacao pods cannot grow, ripen and be ready for picking. Last year West Africa, the largest cacao growing region in the world, had a poor crop and that has reduced the amount of cacao available. Many of the larger chocolate producers purchase their beans from this area and due to lack of quantity they have had to turn to other places to source their cacao beans and they have had to pay more for what is available. As a small bean to a bar maker, I finally had to raise my prices in January 2024. I had not had a price increase since opening my shop in 2020. This change was not only due to the cost of my cacao beans, but also the cost increases of every other ingredient that I use to make my chocolate, such as maple sugar, whole milk powder, and certified gluten free and organic oats.
As a maker I must be able to purchase my ingredients to make the chocolate and sell it to cover my costs to keep my operation viable. At the same time, I realize that my products need to be affordable for people to purchase. As well, the quality of my chocolate must be consistent and worth the price of the bar. I believe in what we do as small makers and I believe that in this world of upheaval, caring for everyone and our environment is how we can help to make things better. One of the changes that I have made, is creating many smaller confections to give people more affordable options. As the cacao chain changes so will my offerings, but my mission will remain the same: to produce sustainable, local and handcrafted chocolate treats. Join me in trying chocolate made differently. Let's protect our world and support our farmers and manufacturers by choosing bean to bar chocolate, either from Chocolat Voyageur, or the many other bean to bar makers here in Canada and around the world.
