The global chocolate industry is grappling with a steep rise in cocoa prices, leading to significant changes for producers and consumers alike. This unprecedented surge, driven by unusual weather patterns and long-standing structural challenges, has sent shockwaves through the market, forcing chocolate manufacturers to rethink recipes, pricing, and sourcing strategies. Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan take a deep dive into the cocoa crisis, unpacking the causes and consequences of rising prices. They analyze how unseasonal El Niño rains have severely impacted West African cocoa production, highlighting the underinvestment in farms and crop diseases that have worsened the supply issues. With 60% of cocoa futures contracts held by speculators, market volatility is further inflating costs, leading chocolate manufacturers to implement measures like “shrinkflation” and recipe changes to navigate this complex market. D2B 315 offers a comprehensive look at the crisis in the cocoa market and is a vivid example of how environmental issues, market speculation, and underinvestment can collide to create global economic ripples. Do you like what you hear? Become a D2B Member today for to access to interactive audio scripts, audio script PDFs, bonus vocabulary episodes, and D2B Member-only episodes. Visit d2benglish.com/membership for more information.