logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
10m 47s

A Global Cocoa Crisis is Upon Us

THE CORE
About this episode

In today's episode, we're talking about the cocoa crunch in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Due to the effects of El Niño, this season has seen poor cocoa harvests, pushing chocolate companies to either reduce their packaging sizes or increase prices.

And for the deep dive, we're looking into the Mahadev online betting scam and its potential connection to the recent slump in small and mid-cap stocks, which have hit their lowest point in two years. To shed light on this, we're joined by Dinesh Naryanan, Managing Editor of The Signal and The Core.

Episode credits:
The episode was researched, written, and produced by Shorbori and Manaswini
Edited by Venkat Ananth and Dinesh Narayanan
Mastered and mixed by Yash Hirave

Up next
Oct 9
So, Should You Buy Corporate Bonds?
Estimates show that people are putting anywhere from 1500-2000 crore a month in corporate bonds. But although it's much easier to buy bonds, do investors really know what they're getting into? To hear from experts and retail investors on this, tune into the latest episode of The ... Show More
15m 36s
Oct 2
Can India Make Airfares More Predictable?
A PIL in the Supreme Court argues that airfares in India have become too high and too unpredictable. It asks for more government oversight. So what's going on? Why are flight prices so high? And what, if anything, can the government do about it? Tune in to the latest episode of T ... Show More
15m 9s
Sep 29
Tuesday Special: Sooraj Nair On Women’s Safety In Cabs
We'll be pausing the Tuesday episodes from now, but do tune in to our Friday episodes, which you can find on all streaming platforms. Today's guest is Sooraj Nair, Director, Safety Operations at Uber. We spoke about the challenge of women's safety in cabs and what Uber is doing t ... Show More
18m 28s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
The Cocoa Crisis
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 ma ... Show More
22m 27s
Apr 2024
Why are chocolate and coffee getting more expensive?
The cost of cocoa - the key ingredient for making chocolate - has reached an all-time high. In fact, the price has roughly doubled over the past year. The soaring cocoa prices are squeezing major chocolate makers and filtering through to consumers who are paying more for their sw ... Show More
15m 24s
May 2024
The cocoa boom
<p>The price of cocoa has exploded. Over the past year, it’s up about 300 percent. Today on the show, Katie Martin and commodities reporter Susannah Savage try to figure out what’s behind the run-up in cocoa, olive oil and other staples. Also we go long gardening and short AI cop ... Show More
15m 12s
Mar 2024
The Intelligence: An aid drop over Gaza
<p>It is becoming harder to get supplies into the enclave, which is facing a growing risk of <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2024/03/26/gaza-could-face-a-famine-by-may-what-does-that-mean" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">famine</a>. As fewer tr ... Show More
19m 41s
Mar 2024
The Intelligence: An aid drop over Gaza
It is becoming harder to get supplies into the enclave, which is facing a growing risk of famine. As fewer trucks are making it in, more aid is being dropped by plane. Our producer takes us on a flight. Why high risk does not always lead to high reward (09:40). And the ripple eff ... Show More
19m 41s
Mar 2024
Is climate change impacting chocolate production?
For centuries chocolate has had a global appeal, the key ingredient of this confectionery is derived from the dried and fully fermented seed of the Theobroma cacao, whose origins began in northern Amazonia. From this tree, both cocoa solids and cocoa butter can be extracted to fo ... Show More
23m 59s
Apr 2024
Chocolate Chaos
<p>In today’s episode for 1st April 2024, we tell you why cocoa prices are hitting record highs.</p> <p> <em>Also, a quick side note. If you&#39;re someone who has  great communication skills and are looking to join a dynamic team, Ditto  is recruiting new Insurance Advisors. You ... Show More
5m 46s
Apr 2024
How are rising cocoa prices impacting chocolate brands?
<p class="p1">Cocoa prices have soared to an all-time high due to a global supply shortage. What’s the impact on chocolate makers, and what are they doing to adapt? Here, Ken Goldman, Lead Equity Research Analyst for U.S. Food Producers and Food Retailers, and Celine Pannuti, Hea ... Show More
10m 19s
Dec 2022
Continental drift: Europe’s challenges
<p>A pair of crises <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/11/24/europe-faces-an-enduring-crisis-of-energy-and-geopolitics?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term ... Show More
27m 8s
Oct 2023
Bittersweet. Exporting cacao beans for a living (S7 - Ep2)
Cocoa is an important export crop for West African countries. Yet, many of the smallholder cocoa farmers struggle to earn a decent livelihood. Assata Doumbia, president of the ECAM cooperative in Côte d'Ivoire, applies a mix of strategies to obtain higher and more predictable inc ... Show More
19m 19s