Imagine a world where there’s no more chocolate.
No Cadbury, no Nestle or Beacon. No Lindt or Snickers bars. Well that could soon be a reality and it’s all because of the outbreak of the Ebola virus.
While the virus may not be able to target the chocolate itself, it has affected the workforce.
The Ivory Coast, the world’s largest producer of cocoa beans, has shut down it’s borders with Guinea and Liberia, which has left the nation’s bean-picking work force highly depleted.
The Ivory Coast is responsible for 33% of the world’s cocoa supply.
The two countries west of the Ivorian border, are among the countries worst affected by the virus.
More than 8 000 have been diagnosed with Ebola and nearly 4 000 have died in those two countries and Sierra Leone.
While the Ivory Coast has not experienced any cases of the deadly disease as yet, the country is taking no chances.