供不应求 全世界巧克力快被吃光啦

 They are words which will strike fear into every addict - we're running out of chocolate.

我们的巧克力快要耗光了——这话会使每一个嗜巧克力成瘾的人感到害怕。

That's according to the world's largest confectionary producer, which has joined Mars in warning of a massive shortfall which could reach a million tonnes a year by 2020.

消息来自世界最大的糖果点心生产商，该公司与玛氏公司一起发出警告，指出巧克力生产的巨大缺口将于2020年达到每年100万吨。

Switzerland's Barry Callebaut Group said soaring demand have helped chocolate prices hit more than double what they were just eight years ago.

瑞士的百乐嘉利宝集团说道，不断上涨的需求使得巧克力的价格与八年前相比翻了一倍还多。

The supplier, which provides chocolate for firms from global giants to artisan bakers, has revealed it sold 1.7million tonnes in 2013/14 - a rise of 11.7 per cent on the year before.

据这个向国际巨头和手工点心作坊提供巧克力的供应商反映，在2013-14年度，其巧克力销售额达到了170万吨，与之前一年相比上涨了11.7%。

But there are limited quantities of the fragile crop - which means as production rises, so does the price.

然而，这种脆弱的作物数量是有限的，这也就意味着，生产增长的同时价格会有所上涨。

That leaves manufacturers with little choice but to raise prices on the shelves, make bars smaller or pack them with fruit, nuts and wafers.

这也使得生产商几乎别无选择，只能提高零售价格、把巧克力棒做得更小或者在巧克力里塞水果、坚果和威化饼。

Industry experts say the world is in its longest production shortfall for five decades.

行业专家认为，世界正处于最长的一次生产缺口中，此次缺口持续时间达到50年之久。

Cocoa prices rose by a quarter in a year to a peak in August of £2,000 a tonne, nearing a February 2011 peak, Barry Callebaut said.

百乐嘉利宝集团表示，和谐的价格一年间上涨了25%，在八月份达到最高点，为2000英镑一吨，接近2011年二月时的最高价格。

Before the end of 2007 they had barely risen above £1,300. In 2005 they hovered around just £1,000, according to figures from the London-based International Cocoa Organization (ICCO).

总部设在伦敦的国际和谐组织（ICCO）的数据显示，2007年底之前，和谐价格仅仅涨到1300英镑以上，而2005年时，价格只是1000英镑左右。

Barry Callebaut chief executive Juergen Steinemann said the hike was fuelled partly by a 'potential cocoa shortage' by 2020 - echoing previous warnings by Mars Chocolate.

百乐嘉利宝集团首席执行官尤尔根·史坦曼说价格上涨的部分原因是2020年“可能出现的和谐短缺”，这与玛氏巧克力公司之前提出的警告相一致。

The British-founded sweet treats giant has repeatedly claimed demand will outstrip supply by a million tonnes a year by 2020.

这家成立于英国的甜品业巨头再三表明，到2020年，需求量将大大超出供应量，缺口将达每年100万吨。

'The global cocoa sector may suffer a 1million metric ton shortfall by 2020 because of increasing economic and environmental pressures on cocoa farms around the world,' the firm said.

公司指出，由于全球范围内对和谐农场不断加大的经济和环境压力，到2020年，世界和谐板块可能遭受100万公吨的缺口。

'Our long-term business depends on a sustainable supply of high quality cocoa, and we believe that securing cocoa’s future begins with increasing yield for the smallholder farmers.'

“我们的长期业务依赖于高质量和谐的可持续供应，我们相信，为确保和谐在未来的供应，必须提高小农户的产量。”

Partly to blame are disease and drought, according to Bloomberg News - which could be beaten by resilient new breeds of cocoa beans.

据彭博新闻社报道，造成缺口的部分原因是疾病和干旱，这可以通过抗病耐旱的新品种和谐得以解决。

But we are also getting hungrier for sweet treats - especially in developing nations like China.

然而，我们对于甜品的需求越来越大，尤其是在以中国为例的发展中国家。

Barry Callebaut's sales grew by 9.3 per cent in Asia last year - compared to 5.4 per cent in the Americas and just 0.1 per cent in Western Europe.

去年，百乐嘉利宝集团在亚洲的销售额上涨了9.3%，相比较而言，销售额在北美的增长率为5.4%，在西欧只有0.1%的增长率。

Mars opened a £170million new plant in Kansas earlier this year to meet rising demand, and last month Barry Callebaut announced it would pour £7.3million into its factory in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

今年早些时候，玛氏公司在堪萨斯州开设了一个1.7亿美元的新公司以满足不断上涨的需求。上个月，百乐嘉利宝集团宣布将向其设在巴西圣保罗的工厂投入730万英镑。

But some surprising news events have a hand in the price, including the Ebola outbreak.

不过，包括埃博拉疫情爆发在内的一些意外的新闻事件也是造成价格上涨的原因之一。

Because 70 per cent of the world's cocoa comes from West Africa, chaos and quarantine restrictions mean global production has dipped by 0.7 per cent, the ICCO said.

国际和谐组织指出，由于世界70%的和谐产自西非，混乱与检疫制度导致全球产量下降了0.7%。

And pledges to beat Third World poverty could also have an impact - as many African cocoa farmers live on less than £1 a day.

同时，战争第三世界贫困的承诺也会有一定影响，因为非洲许多种植和谐的农民每天仅靠不到1英镑的费用生存。