TIME The Brief

#TheBrief: How Ebola and Fungus May Speed Up the Chocolate Shortage

China's growing demand for chocolate may also be contributing

[video id=yqMmGVD3 ]

A recent chocolate shortage has seen cocoa farmers unable to keep up with the public’s insatiable appetite for the treat–and the world’s largest chocolate producers, drought, Ebola and a fungal disease may all be to blame.

Meanwhile, China’s demand for chocolatey goodness has more than doubled in the past ten years, and the country is the fastest growing sector for confectionery products in the world.

Watch #TheBrief to find out what’s being done to save chocolate and what the consequences of this shortage might be for you.

Your browser is out of date. Please update your browser at http://update.microsoft.com


YOU BROKE TIME.COM!

Dear TIME Reader,

As a regular visitor to TIME.com, we are sure you enjoy all the great journalism created by our editors and reporters. Great journalism has great value, and it costs money to make it. One of the main ways we cover our costs is through advertising.

The use of software that blocks ads limits our ability to provide you with the journalism you enjoy. Consider turning your Ad Blocker off so that we can continue to provide the world class journalism you have become accustomed to.

The TIME Team