As climate change poses increasing challenges to cocoa production, scientists are racing to develop synthetic cocoa and alternative products. With the global population expanding rapidly, the demand for chocolate is outpacing supply. In the United States, the chocolate market alone is valued at an impressive $25 billion annually.
West and Central Africa dominate the world’s cocoa production landscape. Earlier this year, cocoa prices skyrocketed due to heightened demand, compounded by plant diseases and the impacts of climate change in West Africa. Cocoa, which thrives solely in tropical rainforests, faces spatial constraints as suitable land for cultivation diminishes alongside population growth. Researchers are actively exploring alternative cultivation methods in regions such as Northern California and Israel.
One company making strides in this area is California Cultured, a plant cell culture startup based in West Sacramento. They plan to launch lab-grown cocoa into the market next year. By cultivating cocoa bean cells in a sugar solution, they can significantly accelerate the growth process, producing a harvest in about a week—dramatically shorter than the six to eight months required by traditional farming.
Alan Perlstein, the CEO of California Cultured, emphasizes that this innovative method not only reduces labor needs but also substantially lowers water usage. With chocolate demand on the rise, traditional production methods struggle to keep up, risking price spikes that could make chocolate unaffordable for many consumers.
In parallel, another group of researchers is working on cocoa substitutes by utilizing ingredients like oats and carob to create products that replicate chocolate’s flavor. Carla D. Martin, a Harvard University professor of African studies and executive director of the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute, points out that the instability in cocoa supply has catalyzed interest in lab-produced cocoa and its alternatives.
Martin also notes that while three-quarters of the world’s cocoa is produced in Central and West Africa, only 4% is consumed there; Europe and the United States dominate the chocolate market. As lab-grown foods increasingly appear on supermarket shelves—chicken being one notable example—researchers believe that if these new chocolate alternatives maintain a taste similar to traditional cocoa, consumers are likely to welcome them enthusiastically.
