On top of the involved process behind chocolate production, shipping the product far and wide adds a layer of logistical complexity.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, store shelves will soon be inundated with chocolates of all shapes, flavors, and sizes. While we’re quick to tell the world who gave us our box of Hershey’s Kisses, we never seem to ask: how’d that chocolate get here in the first place?
The logistics of producing and shipping chocolate are intricate and precise, involving the coordination of farmers in Côte d’Ivoire, chocolatiers in Switzerland, and a robust cold supply chain. With a commodity as perishable as chocolate, the room for error is slim.