Nestle, Hershey help fight Ebola, as Virus Threatens Chocolate Supply

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Valentines Day, Easter ... all high chocolate volume sale times coming up. I'm sure the chocolate companies are getting nervous. The companies say they are concerned about their African workers on a human level .. and I"m sure that's true. I'm also sure they are concerned about the bottom dollar ... which, as responsible business operators, they should be. Whatever the motivation, the migrant workers who work the cocoa beans are being hit by Ebola ... either catching it or not being allowed to work because its' so widespread.

The World Cocoa Foundation, is a non-profit group that helps the workers in that part of the world. It has 113 members, many are big name chocolate corporations. They are raising funds to help fight the spread of Ebola. These will be distributed via the Red Cross, Caritas (Catholic), and Red Crescent (Muslim).

Nestle, Hershey help fight Ebola, as Virus Threatens Chocolate Supply

Nestle, Mars and Hershey are among the companies pledging support to combat the disease wrecking havoc on nations that border Ivory Coast --the world’s biggest exporter cacao --the raw ingredient in chocolate.

Ivory Coast has shut down its borders with Liberia and Guinea, two nations hardest hit by the Ebola virus, shutting out migrant workers needed to pick the beans that go into M&M, Snickers Bars and Hershey's Kisses, reports Politico. Though Ivory Coast has yet to report a single case of the deadly virus, residents are fearful that the disease may quickly cross borders....

Donations from the chocolate companies will be distributed to the International Federation of Red Cross, the Red Crescent Societies, and Caritas, a charity affiliated with the Catholic Church, according to CNN.

And yes, the price of chocolate is expected to go even higher. If this Ebola thing goes like the CDC and WHO expect, then the supply could stop all together. No chocolate. And with no chocolate production, the workers in Africa (who are left alive) will have a major economic hit. They are getting hit on heath and economics. It's gotta' be hell on earth over there.