Ebola And Chocolate: Ebola Outbreak To Threaten Chocolate Supply?

Ebola and chocolate - Chocolate lover's best control their sweet tooth because reports now claim that prices of chocolate might get affected due to the Ebola outbreak. The outbreak has already affected cocoa harvest in parts of West Africa thus prices of chocolate would be affected. In fact, prices of chocolate have already gone up a few cents.

How is Ebola and chocolate affecting West Africa? First off, Ivory Coast and Ghana are sources of the world's best cocoa. These two sit right adjacent to Guinea and Liberia wherein Ebola is at its worst. Around 4,000 people have already died from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Given the infection, closed borders would occur in the country of West Africa. This only means less labor force from Liberia and Guinea to harvest cocoa.

"If Cote d'Ivoire's agriculture sector loses all of its laborers - that will have a huge impact in terms of the crop and what can actually be harvested," stated head of group research for Ecobank, George Edward.

Where Ebola and chocolate is concerned, the Ebola outbreak has certainly affected West Africa even in terms of their cocoa industry. Ironically, for some the chocolate matters most than containing the Ebola outbreak. One reporter had the gall to ask the head of an African bank if he should start stocking up on chocolate.

"The price made the move to three-year highs in response to the Ebola crisis, on fears that it could spread into Ivory Coast and Ghana," stated senior market analyst of Price Futures Group, Jack Scoville.

Apart from Ebola and chocolate in the West Africa, the Ebola virus has made its way to the United States. One Ebola infected individual has already died while two health workers have been confirmed to be infected with the virus. President Obama has already called in a cabinet meeting to work on more aggressive approach to containing the disease.