why the price of chocolate will (again) soar this year

See my news
Follow News

Sad news for lovers of sweet treats. The price of cocoa has skyrocketed since January 2024, which will necessarily impact the price of chocolates sold for Christmas. A situation that we had already experienced at Easter.

Chocolates 5 to 8% more expensive

Joined by actu.frThierry Lalet, president of the confederation of chocolatiers and confectioners and artisan in Bordeaux, is already making progress on a visible increase in stores. “We are seeing an increase 5 to 8% on average. »

This sometimes costs one euro per 150 g box, the increase remains withheld.

The Système U supermarket group, contacted by actu.fr, also notes an increase in prices, with 6% more on Christmas chocolate references compared to 2023.

An increase in prices which impacts consumers. The sale of these products, which began a few weeks ago, is currently attracting fewer customers than last year, System U regrets.

The price of cocoa on the rise

This increase is not due to chance. She is directly linked to the world price of cocoa. “It has increased by 210% over the last 18 months,” laments Thierry Lalet.

On Tuesday November 26, it was sold at more than 8,500 euros per tonneaccording to the Boursorama website.

According to this data, per tonne increased by around 114% over one year and 251.75% over three years. The peak was reached last April when cocoa was traded at almost 11,600 euros.

In addition to cocoa, other raw materials used by chocolate makers are experiencing an increase in price.

“This is the case for hazelnuts and sugar which combines with cocoa,” notes Thierry Lalet.

We must not forget the increase in salaries and charges such as water and electricity. So, we cannot absorb the increase indefinitely, or otherwise, we will have to lay off people.

Global warming to blame

This increase could persist. The increase in cocoa prices is directly linked to global warming, the effects of which are unlikely to be contained any time soon.

“The areas where chocolate is produced around the Equator are all the more sensitive to its impact,” explains the chocolatier based in Bordeaux. It is also two countries that have established a monopoly on cocoa production, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

And the El Nino weather phenomenon did not help the 2023 harvest (for 2024 production). This natural process recurs with a periodicity of two to seven years and warms the water, leading to a global increase in temperatures. It is an amplifier of global warming.

More expensive cocoa trees planted

Thierry Lalet sees additional explanations for the price surge. “Many farms have closed because the planters could not make a living from cocoa
», indicates the chocolatier.

The plantations are also getting older while the cocoa trees only produce for around twenty years. “And sometimes the planters do not want to replant or they use more expensive varieties, which also increases prices,” explains the president of the chocolate makers’ confederation.

Raise consumer awareness

So, will chocolate disappear from our shelves? The president of the confederation of chocolate makers wants to be less pessimistic. “For the second half of 2025, price outlook is good», reassures Thierry Lalet. But “the cocoa will remain high”.

According to him, plantations are adapting to the effects of global warming. For example, planters create canopies with other trees to shelter cocoa trees from the sun.

Although counterintuitive, this price increase also has positive effects. “The cocoa boom will give growers a taste for it again. In 5-6 years, there will be more farms and therefore, ultimately, more production,” enthuses Thierry Lalet.

And for chocolatiers, this price change is an opportunity to better explain our profession to customers. This can help consumers to be aware that we are dependent on an agricultural product with its variations.

To adapt even better, chocolatiers can reduce their offering or slightly modify their recipe, underlines the chocolate enthusiast.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.