India, March 20 -- A shortage of cocoa beans has led to a near shutdown of processing plants inIvory Coastand Ghana

A shortage of cocoa beans has led to a near shutdown of processing plants in Ivory Coast and Ghana, the two countries responsible for 60% of global production.

With chocolate makers around the world reliant on west Africa for cocoa, there is significant concern about the impact on the prices of chocolate and the livelihood of farmers. Cocoa researcher Michael Odijie explains the reasons for the shortage.

Why has cocoa production declined sharply in west Africa?

Three factors are at play: environmental, economic cycle related and human.

One environmental factor is the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon, which has c...