UK consumers are facing significantly higher chocolate prices this Easter, with costs rising more than 12.6% since last year – more than double the overall increase in supermarket food and drink prices. The average household now spends over £50 on Easter-related items, including some 80 million chocolate eggs, but shoppers are feeling the pinch as cocoa prices hit record highs.
The main driver is a cocoa shortage in West Africa, particularly Ghana and Ivory Coast, which produce over half the world's cocoa. Experts point to climate-related weather events, pests, ageing trees, and declining soil fertility as key factors. Dr Andrew Damyond of the University of Reading noted that last year's El Niño brought wetter conditions, increasing pod rot. He warned that more frequent extreme weather could cause greater year-to-year yield fluctuations.
Beyond climate, the crisis is linked to exploitation in the cocoa industry. Amarachi Clarke, founder of London-based Lucocoa, said farmers are not paid a living income, leaving them unable to invest in their land. “If you’re not paying a farmer properly, they can’t afford to respond to climate change,” she said, adding that this leads to layers of slave and child labour. Douglas Lamont of Tony’s Chocolonely echoed this, noting that high market prices do not necessarily benefit farmers, with 1.5 million children working illegally on cocoa farms.
Dr Michael Odijie of University College London said a historic focus on keeping consumer prices low has perpetuated exploitation. While price rises mainly affect mass-produced chocolate, craft chocolatiers are also feeling the ripple effects. Clarke said her business is still recovering from Covid, rising energy costs, and Brexit-related expenses, and questioned how long smaller producers can survive. However, she hopes the crisis will raise consumer awareness of these issues.
