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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Its the End of the World! |
| 2011-01-29 |
| The world faces a chocolate 'drought' over the next few years, an expert warned yesterday. Political unrest in the Ivory Coast, where 40 per cent of the world's cocoa beans are grown, has 'significantly' depleted the number of certified fair trade cocoa farmers. Many have fled the West ÂAfrican country, while fair trade training programmes have also come to a halt. Fairtrade training programmes have ground to a halt because of the danger farmers face in rural areas. The situation is already affecting chocolate manufacturers, who are facing the highest cocoa prices for over 30 years. Prices jumped by 10 per cent this month alone. Analysts are predicting they could soon hit $3,720 per metric tonne - a level last seen in January 1979. It follows a curb on international cocoa exports initiated earlier this week by the country's new president, Alassane Ouattara. So don't go Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs and expect to spend a bit more for the Valentine Chocolates. Save up! |
| Posted by:Deacon Blues |
| #10 Some investor purchased tons of cocoa not long ago. He had done it once before. Futures idea to drive up the price of cocoa. The first time it didn't work as I recall. Then you have this "significantly' depleted the number of certified fair trade cocoa farmers" and political unrest. This sounds like the new president has investor relations. Then you will have; "chocolate market is a an oligopsony. There are many sellers but only a few big buyers" then substitutes. Pepsi Co. already uses many sugar subtitutes. Throwback is natural sugar product.Oligopsony good word. |
| Posted by: Dale 2011-01-29 12:00 |
| #9 "Does "fair trade" mean that there aren't slaves involved in the cultivation & harvest process? Or does it mean that the plantation owners have kicked up to the right NGOs?" I'll take Door #2, Mitch. :-( |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2011-01-29 11:50 |
| #8 And Harry Potter and friends will find it harder to recover from dementor attacks. |
| Posted by: lotp 2011-01-29 11:21 |
| #7 Calvin will be disappointed....and less hyper |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-01-29 10:31 |
| #6 Fair trade plantations have 'inspections' by the fair trade groups, but all the plantations have to do is kick into the fair trade group's local charities and they get a clean bill of health. Just another PC shakedown by the Left, sort of like Jesse Jackson's 'minority participation levels' at Fortune 500 companies - kick into his Rainbow Coalition and suddenly you are golden. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2011-01-29 10:26 |
| #5 Does "fair trade" mean that there aren't slaves involved in the cultivation & harvest process? Or does it mean that the plantation owners have kicked up to the right NGOs? |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2011-01-29 07:27 |
| #4 I think the real problem is "trade" vs. "fair trade". The "fair trade" movement demands the payment of higher wages to workers as well as requiring producers to meet "social" and environmental standards. In other words, a boycott of producers who don't want to conform to leftist liberalism standards of production. Which, when markets get tighter, is most of them. They want to make a living, not advance someone else's social and political agenda. So they will still sell cocoa, just not to western traders required to do things the western liberal way. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-01-29 07:27 |
| #3 I remember previous problems like this too abu. I can remember years ago an investment book said buy for this reason chocolate. A chocolate price increase has two big problems, the first is substitutes. If the prices goes up, people buy other products and the second is that the chocolate market is a an oligopsony. There are many sellers but only a few big buyers. |
| Posted by: Bernardz 2011-01-29 04:23 |
| #2 seems i remember something else that was significant happening in 1979... |
| Posted by: abu do you love 2011-01-29 01:19 |
| #1 SIGN OF THE APOCALYSPE NO. ******, DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > US IS CONSIDERING RUSSIAN PROPOSAL FOR JOINT PRODUCTION OF AN-124 CONDOR: RUSSIAN DEPUTY PM. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-01-29 00:10 |