The chocolate of the future will have less cocoa or none at all  

The high price of cocoa beans along with consumer concerns and government regulations surrounding deforestation and child labour have sparked a hunt for new chocolate ingredients. The Swiss chocolate industry is under a lot of pressure. Cocoa prices have reached record highs, recently surpassing $10,000 (CHF9,150) per tonne for the first time. Poor weather and disease in Ivory Coast and Ghana have led to a deficit in cocoa beans for the third year in a row. The two West African countries account for about 60% of global cocoa production. “Compared to the average prices recorded a year ago ($2,752 per tonne in London and $3,040 per tonne in New York), the average prices seen in April 2024 represented significant increases of 301% and 244% respectively,” said the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) in its market review for April. To add more pressure, the European Union has introduced a “zero deforestation” supply chain regulation which will come into force in January 2025. Seven ...