How much would You Pay for that Chocolate Bar?

In my most recent jaunt down to The Bread Store I was looking forward to my customary tuna sandwich and brownie - I know a strange combination - but upon asking the owner why they hadn't had brownies in months (they are the most fudgy brownies covered in silvered almonds) he stated that Chocolate was becoming a scarcity, and to make them he'd have to end up charging his customers $5.00/brownie instead of the normal $1.95. 

I was shocked, this couldn't be true right? We would have heard about something so bad? He then stated that flour prices were sky-rocketing, and it's was only a quick minuet till coffee would be as well! What's a baker/foodie/diner to do?

Hoping this was all just more hype than story I looked into it, it seems this is all too correct. 

"According to the Daily Mail, chocolate Easter eggs will cost as much as 140 percent more this year than they did last year, due to rising cocoa prices. In the UK, Cadbury's Twirl Eggs have risen 64 percent in one year -- from £3.35 to £5.50.

That's because cocoa prices have spiked by as much as $800 a ton since last fall. Chocolatiers all over the world must now pay double or triple what they formerly paid for basic ingredients.

Ivory Coast held a presidential election last November. Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo lost to his opponent Alassane Ouattara, head of the opposing Rally of the Republicans party. According to the UN and other observers, Outtara's victory was legitimate. Dismissing the vote count, Gbagbo refuses to step down.

In response, Ouattara has asked Ivory Coast cocoa farmers and processors to stop exporting cocoa until Gbagbo relents and gives up the presidency. Supporting Ouattara's move, some international food producers have stopped importing Ivory Coast cocoa.

The result is spiking chocolate prices, with no end in sight."

This is horrible, and makes me want to horde all available chocolate available - but seems pretty on trend with all rising food prices around the globe, even if these chocolate prices specifically are astronomically high. Chocolate used to be a special delight as it was so expensive, granted these times were anywhere from the 1700's to 1950's - and then there was a boom of access like never before.

Who knows where it'll be heading back to given these prices in this political climate - best advise: find you favorite cocoa powders (mine is Valrhona) and buy them in bulk and seal them in an air tight container.