Cocoa Sustainable Agribusiness.

For the 2023-2024 season, the main cocoa producers are Ivory Coast and Ghana, which together contribute about 65% of the world's production. Other important producers are Ecuador, Cameroon, Nigeria, Indonesia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea and Colombia.

Figure 1. World Cocoa Production (Thousands of tons)

Source:  statista.com Octubre 2024   https://www.statista.com/statistics/263855/cocoa-bean-production-worldwide-by-region/ 

The largest grinders  are located in the Netherlands, Germany, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Brazil and the United States.

Figure 2. Main Cocoa grinders in the World (Thousands of tons)

 Source: International Cocoa Organization ICCO 2024. https://www.icco.org/wp-content/uploads/Grindings_QBCS-L-No.-3.pdf 

Currently the international price of Cocoa is close to USD $7100 per ton, and the futures in the main stock exchange   2024-2025 season are close to USD $7500 per metric tone.

Figure 3. International Cocoa Price ( USD / Ton)

Source: Market Business Insider 2024  https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/cocoa-price 

Colombia is in the Top 10 of the world's leading cocoa producers, with a reported production in 2023 of about 60,000 tons. About 80% of the production is destined to the Industrial Chocolates sector where the main buyers  are Luker Chocolate and  Nutresa Group and the rest is destined to the Fine Aroma Chocolate sector, premium products and export quality (FEDECACAO)

Figure 4. Colombia Cocoa Production (Tons)

Source: National Federation of Cocoa Growers of Colombia. FEDECACAO 2024 https://www.fedecacao.com.co/economianacional 

It is estimated that about 65% of the agricultural production of Cocoa in Colombia is implemented with international standards that have been defined within Global Sustainability Agreements, such as the Cocoa, Forests and Peace Initiative 2018, where the parties commit to the Sustainable production of Cocoa, promoting the environment conservation, reforestation, illicit crops substitution (Coca Leaf) and the well-being of rural communities. Agroforestry systems are mandatory. Forest species are used as permanent shade and others such as the Musaceae as temporary shade. Some  improved varieties and  registered by FEDECACAO have yields of 1500-2000 Kg/ha. Cocoa is one of the main sustainable agro-industrial lines in Colombia.

Image 1. Cocoa Agroforestry System (Permanent and Temporary Shade)

Source: Hincapié, O (2022). National Chocolates. Nutresa Group

Image 2. Yariguíes Experimental Farm, Santander Colombia.

Source: Hincapié, O (2022). National Chocolates. Nutresa Group.

 At Cassabis.org, we help you to design, implement and monitoring a strategic plan for Sustainable Cocoa Production and other tropical species, with a secure market based on international standards, enviromental conservation, and Integral Human Dvelopment.