Harvard Professor Carla Martin on the Cocoa Crisis

The growing cocoa deficit is affecting farmers, supply chains, and consumers.

Carla Martin | photo by harvard magazine

Why have chocolate prices surged since before Valentine's Day, hitting an all time high around Easter? Some analysts have predicted that cocoa may reach highs of $10,000 a ton in this historic period of inflation, growing in value at a rate faster than bitcoin.

 

Harvard Professor Carla Martin discusses the ongoing cocoa crisis affecting farmers, supply chains, and consumers, the historical and cultural trends underlying the production and sale of chocolate, and what the immediate commercial future of chocolate looks like. Martin is a Lecturer in the Department of African and African American Studies at Harvard University and is the Founder and Executive Director of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI). 

As the global cocoa shortfall continues, prices will be passed onto consumers until farmers are able to regain full yields.

Read more about Harvard African and African American Studies (AAAS): 

Read more about the science, culture, and history of chocolate:

Read more articles by Olivia Farrar
Related topics

You might also like

How AI Is Reshaping Supply Chains

Harvard Kennedy School lecturer on using AI to strengthen supply chains

This Astronomer is Sounding a Warning on ‘Space Junk’

As debris accumulates in low Earth orbit, the danger of destructive collisions continues to rise.

Understanding AI Vulnerabilities

As artificial intelligence capabilities evolve, so too will the tactics used to exploit them. 

Most popular

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

The Harvard graduate’s roundtable talk show touches on hot button issues from religion to sex. 

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

Explore More From Current Issue

A busy classroom filled with students working at computers, colorful decor, and a bright atmosphere.

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.

Colorful word cloud with various emotions and ideas related to learning and reflection.

But it can’t replace human connection.

Modern building with large glass windows, surrounded by greenery and pedestrians.

A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026