Coffee & Chocolate Shortages Ahead: Stock Up Now!

How often do you need a cup of coffee to make it through the day? Do you just drink a cup in the morning or do you need it all day to power up? Some people need the buzz or caffeine and others can take it or leave it. We may be facing a coffee shortage soon. This may leave people crabby or ready to pay whatever it takes to get some coffee.

A Coffee Shortage: How Will it Impact You?

If you like a steady flow of caffeine throughout the day now is a good time to stock up on coffee. The Macquarie Group Ltd. Reported that a coffee shortage is expected, notes the Los Angeles Times. The shortage may be severe and thus coffee prices may rise dramatically.

The shortage is expected because of problems with weather, disease in the crop and roads that are not open for transport in Columbia. The Columbia coffee farmers are in crisis. This will impact the coffee market worldwide.

Coffee Prices Rising

The Wall Street Journal says that the coffee shortage is already here. It warns that the cost of Arabica beans have gone up by a third in the past several months. The cost for a pound of Arabica is now about $1.80. The cost is up about 50 cents a pound in the last few months.

Chocolate Prices Rising Too

Chocolate prices are soaring lately too. This is due to an expected shortage also. The Independent reports that John Mason, founder and executive director of Nature Conservation Research Council has stated that Africa will not be producing as much chocolate as before. ""In 20 years chocolate will be like caviar. It will become so rare and so expensive that the average Joe just won't be able to afford it."

Ivory Coast: Can It Keep Up With Demand for Chocolate?

In Africa the chocolate farmers do not earn much for the product. Also, the land used to grow the cocoa trees is becoming bare of nutrients. Much of the cocoa used to make chocolate for delivery all around the world is grown on the Ivory Coast.

In America we don't really put much thought into where our coffee and chocolate comes from. We just expect it to be available at stores. Is our country going to go into hoarding mode for chocolate and coffee? Coffee and chocolate cannot be stored for all that long.

Perhaps it is time to start to really savor each bit of chocolate and each mug of coffee. We take so much for granted without realizing the work of a farmer somewhere to produce the treats we count on to add some joy and some energy to our days.

Sources:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-coffee-shortage-20101126,0,6156949.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+%28L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories%29

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703720004575478153896419546.html

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/10/quotes-chocolate-shortage-predicted/

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/chocolate-worth-its-weight-in-gold-2127874.html