In Boston, consumers grapple with high chocolate prices ahead of Valentine's Day
BOSTON - Valentine's Day is just days away, and grocery store shelves are full of chocolate.
Chocolate prices on the rise
"Dark chocolate is the way to my heart," said Boston neighbor, Jessica Gullak.
The sweet stuff melts Gullak's heart, but this year, the price of Valentine's Day chocolates may leave some with a bitter taste.
"There's 17 pieces in here; that's almost a dollar per piece of chocolate," said Gullak.
The United States is the world's largest importer of chocolate. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), between 2017-2021 the U.S. imported roughly $2.8 billion dollars worth of chocolate per year. As prices continue to rise, some shoppers are thinking twice.
"It's been a pretty significant jump," said chocolatier Christine Vistro.
Why is chocolate so expensive?
Taza Chocolate, Vistro's employer, pays a premium for fair-trade cocoa from countries like the Dominican Republic, Ghana and Uganda.
"A lot of the world's cocoa comes from West Africa. The Ivory Coast and Ghana produce 70% of all the cocoa consumed in the world today," said Vistro.
According to Vistro, recent climate challenges have shrunk crops.
"West Africa - they had a big drought in their crop in 2023. It was really wet in 2024, and because of the smaller crop, we've seen a really big increase in cocoa prices," said Vistro.
The reduced crop has more than doubled the cost of importing beans for Taza, a Somerville small business, a cost that trickles down to the customers.
"Whatever is happening at their crop is going to affect the market as a whole," said Vistro.
Customers want fair-trade cocoa
Still, customers are willing to pay for ethically sourced high-quality cocoa processed in-house from bean to bar.
"We are paying a premium on top of the prices on the market," said Vistro.
Vistro's advice for Valentine's Day shoppers: If you're buying chocolate for your sweetheart, spring for the real thing.
"I would say go and get the good stuff," said Vistro.
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