I wanted to write this to help you learn more about the ongoing cocoa and chocolate shortage happening worldwide. This resulted in cocoa crops and cocoa butter becoming more scarce and expensive.
From a recent CNBC News article:
“The world is facing its biggest cocoa supply shortfall in more than 60 years, and consumers could start seeing the result late this year or early 2025, Joules said. The International Cocoa Organization has forecast a supply shortfall of 374,000 tonnes for the 2023-24 season, a 405% increase from a shortfall of 74,000 tonnes the previous season.
“The worst is yet to come,” Joules said. Cocoa prices will likely remain high for some time because there are no easy solutions to the systemic issues facing the market.” CNBC, Consumer news and business channelMarch 26, 2024
I know how beloved cocoa butter is to the beauty community, and it’s disappointing that we can’t offer it in the quantities our customers prefer right now. The deeply moisturizing, soothing and restorative power of cocoa butter has been unmatched since it first appeared as a commercial beauty ingredient. But the sooner we share it with you, the sooner we can help you find alternative ways to help your skin and hair stay happy and hydrated with other high-quality natural ingredients that are readily available.
What happened to the chocolate crops?
Adverse weather patterns have accumulated over the past 3 years due to one El Niño weather cycle: a warm cycle that creates a higher than normal number of hurricanes and tropical storms. This has caused unprecedented drought and disease. This domino effect then caused a cocoa supply shortage throughout the global supply chain. The largest production center is in West Africa, which has been most affected by climate fluctuations. Unfortunately, until global cultivation and supply lines recover and recover to more sustainable levels, it may take some time for cacao crops and chocolate cultivation to return to normal, regardless of where they come from. Even largely unaffected suppliers, such as those in South America, are scrambling to meet global demand and prevent cocoa shortages.
Historically, there has also been a lack of financing for cocoa farming that is needed to modernize production and provide value to cocoa farmers to earn a living. Many chocolate producers are looking for a way to make and distribute ethically sourced chocolate and cocoa products. One way to secure the future of cocoa crops and prevent a global chocolate shortage is to buy from ethical suppliers. These companies prioritize supply lines and the fair treatment of workers at every stage of cocoa cultivation. By helping cocoa farmers create a sustainable business model, this can increase the amount of cocoa production around the world.
Why is chocolate still reasonably priced if cocoa butter isn’t?
So why haven’t chocolate products grown as much as cocoa butter? It’s because cocoa mass—the portion of the roasted cocoa bean that isn’t the fat—is less expensive and easier to produce. We do not experience so great a scarcity as with the lack of cocoa butter. When dried and ground, the cocoa mass becomes cocoa powder, a key ingredient in baked goods, chocolate and mocha drinks. It has such a naturally strong and concentrated flavor that much less is needed to create familiar chocolate-based products.
If you’re still not sure how it’s used or what cocoa mass is, it might help to think about the process with pistachio products. When peanuts are ground, the resulting peanut butter is a paste of peanut mass and oils. However, the peanut oil can be separated from the peanut mass. You may have seen peanut powders or flours being used as a low-fat alternative to peanut butter in recent years – that’s shelf-stable peanut mass.
Why is cocoa butter in higher demand than cocoa mass? It is used to finish high-quality chocolate and desserts, giving them a velvety texture and unique taste that only cocoa butter can provide. Along with this, with the rise of the ketogenic diet it has also gained popularity as a vegan cooking fat or keto coffee supplement. Finally, the global beauty industry regularly creates high demand because cocoa butter contains the same antioxidants as dark chocolate. When applied to the skin it helps deeply rejuvenate skin cells, which can help heal scars, strengthen the skin barrier and more.
In the US, real chocolate must contain cocoa butter by default. However, “chocolate candies” may contain other fats, such as edible varieties of shea butter and mango that can sometimes be used for culinary purposes. They help enhance the texture of chocolate-based desserts while providing good flavor. These fat substitutes may be another reason why it is possible to easily get chocolate for a while longer.
What does cocoa butter do for skin and hair?
There are many properties that account for the popularity of cocoa butter. It is a deeply penetrating vegetable fat that locks in moisture that melts into a light oil at body temperature and is quickly absorbed into the skin. It is so rich in fatty acids and unprocessed nutrients and antioxidants that it can actually penetrate the dermis level of the skin. Fortunately, current research also shows that many natural plant fats (ie, butters and oils) can also do this, including shea, mango, kokum, cupuacu, apricot oil, jojoba oil, and more. Fatty acids are especially good at this because the skin is naturally acidic.
Cocoa butter is also great for certain hair types, especially coarse, dry or high porosity hair. Its deep moisturizing properties can penetrate the hair and provide long-lasting hydration, which helps to strengthen the structure of the hair itself.
What are good substitutes for cocoa butter?
The good news is that there are many solid vegetable fats available on the market that have properties and benefits very similar to cocoa butter and are unaffected by the weathering that has led to lack of cocoa beans. Let me tell you a little more about two vegetable butters that are also derived from fruit seeds that are great substitutes for cocoa butter: Kokum butter and Cupuacu butter.
Kokum butter
Kokum is a fruit tree native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely consumed and known as “wild mangosteen”. It can be eaten alone or used in drinks, desserts and wines.
Kokum butter’s moisturizing properties are very close to those of cocoa butter, so it has always been a great substitute for those looking for the healing properties of cocoa butter without the natural chocolate flavor, Kokum is an almost odorless butter.
In fact, kokum butter has a similar fatty acid structure to cocoa, although very slightly firmer.
Cupuacu Butter
Cupuacu belongs to the theobroma family, which is the same fruit family that cacao comes from and also has a very widespread culinary use in South America. It can be found as an ingredient by itself in smoothies, shakes and desserts.
Cupuacu butter works similarly to a combination of shea butter and cocoa butter. In recent years it has become known as a “super butter” due to its moisturizing (water-attracting), emollient (skin softening and lubricating) and occlusive (protective barrier) properties. It is most famously found in Sol de Janeiro’s product line as it is the national fruit of Brazil.
Cupuacu is a little softer than kokum or cocoa butters, but not as soft as shea or mango butters.
Although both of these butters have a slightly waxier consistency than cocoa butter, both of these butters can be used directly on the skin or hair and will melt at body temperature. Both can also be substituted 1-1 in any whipped cocoa butter recipes with super close results!
Below is a basic recipe that can be used as a substitute for a whipped cocoa butter recipe. We found it to be a very nice moisturizer for hair, face and body applications.
Kokum & Cupuacu whipped body and hair butter
2 ounces kokum butter
1 ounce cupuacu butter
2 oz jojoba oil
Optional: 10 drops vanilla essential oil, cocoa absolute or cocoa essential oil
- Melt the kokum and cupuacu butters in a double boiler over low heat until melted
- Remove from heat and wait a minute
- Add the jojoba oil and mix
- Refrigerate until 50% solid.
- Fold in optional essential oil
- Whip to perfection
I hope this blog has helped you learn more about the current state of global chocolate availability and cacao production. An informed shopper is a prepared shopper, especially as we head into the holidays. There are many natural butters derived from fruit seeds that can help keep your hair and skin looking their best. In addition to helping your beauty routine, you might just discover a new favorite! Feel free to contact us at [email protected] for any questions or further recipe advice.
Author: Natalie, DIY enthusiast
