Cocoa producing countries
30 years ago, 1.3 million tonnes of cocoa beans were produced worldwide. In the meantime, the quantity has more than tripled. 4.7 million tonnes were harvested in the record year 2016/17. About 95 % of the world's cocoa is grown by small farms with an average size of between 2 and 5 hectares of cultivated land. It is estimated that at least 5 million smallholders work in cocoa farming.
The German Initiatiive on Sustainable Cocoa focuses on sustainable cocoa farming in West Africa. The fundamental challenges in this region are the poverty of cocoa farmers, abusive child labour and the loss of forest land through cocoa cultivation.
Two thirds of the world's cocoa production is provided by two countries. Just under 2 million tonnes of cocoa (annual production) comes from Côte d'Ivoire. Ghana follows with 0.97 million tonnes as number 2. In Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, cocoa accounts for 61 and 66 % of family income.
Top 5 Cocoa producing countries by global production volume

Côte d'Ivoire | Ghana | Indonesia | Ecuador | Cameron | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National production in tons 2018/19 | 2.154.000 | 812.000 | 200.000 | 322.000 | 280.000 |
National production in tons 2017/18 | 2.000.000 | 700.000 | 280.000 | 270.000 | 240.000 |
National production in tonnes 2016/17 | 2.010.000 | 970.000 | 290.000 | 270.000 | 250.000 |
National production in tons 2015/16 | 1.581.000 | 778.000 | 320.000 | 232.000 | 211.000 |
Total number farmers / holdings |
800.000 to 1,3 Mio. | 800.000 | 800.000 to 1,7 Mio. | 150.337 | 400.000 to 600.000 |
Average yield kg/hectare |
362 | 420 | 200 to 800 | 520 | 300 to 400 |
Average area cocoa cultivation hectare/farm |
7,46 | 5,95 | n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
Total area cocoa cultivation in hectare |
2,5 Mio. | 1,8 Mio. | 1,27 Mio. | 560.387 | 850.000 |
Certified Production in tons |
486.842 | 169.057 | 52.852 | 31.789 | 35.526 |
Farm gate price 2017/18 per kg |
1,28 USD fixed minimum price 60 % of the CIF price |
1.91 USD fixed minimum price 70 % of the world market price |
Free market price approx. 75 - 85 % of the world market price |
Free market price approx. 90 % of the world market price |
Free market price approx. 80 % of the world market price |
Farm gate price 2018/19 per kg |
1,34 USD fixed minimum price 60 % of the CIF price |
1.49 USD fixed minimum price 70 % of the world market price |
Free market price approx. 75 - 85 % of the world market price |
Free market price approx. 90 % of the world market price |
Free market price approx. 80 % of the world market price |
Responsible National authority |
Le Conseil du Café- Cacao (CCC) |
Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) |
Indonesian Cocoa Board (Dekaindo) |
Ministerium für Landwirtschaft (MAG) |
National Caffee and Cocoa Board (ONCC) |
Absolute deforestation forest and other forested area (in 1,000 ha) |
1960: 16,000 1990: 10,222 2015: 10,401 |
n.s. 1990: 8,627 2015: 9,337 |
n.s. 1990: 118,545 2015: 91,010 |
n.s. 1990: 14,631 2015: 12,548 |
n.s. 1990: 24,316 2015: 18,816 |
Share of organised farmers |
21 % | 11 % | n.s. | 30 % | 20 to 30 |
Human Development Index (Feb. 2019) |
0.492 | 0.592 | 0.694 | 0.752 | 0.556 |
Sources
Introduction | BDSI, Consumption of confectionery per capita, 2018, ICCO, Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, Vol XLIII, No. 4, Cocoa Year 2016/17, KIT- Royal Tropical Institute, Demystifying the cocoa sector in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, 2018, Protokoll der Arbeitsgruppe Nachhaltigkeit, Sitzung vom 9. Mai 2018 |
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Total number of farmers / holdings | General source: Strengthening the competitiveness of cocoa production and improving the income of cocoa producers in West and Central Africa. Südwind Institut. 2016; Ecuador: Landwirtschaftsministerium Ecuador. WCC 2018; Dom.Rep.: Landwirtschaftsministerium Ecuador. 2016; Nicaragua: Präsentation WCC 2018; Kolumbien: Landwirtschaftsministerium Ecuador. 2016 |
Total area under cocoa cultivation | General source: Strengthening the competitiveness of cocoa production and improving the income of cocoa producers in West and Central Africa. Südwind Institut. 2016; Côte d'Ivoire und Ghana: Demystifying the cocoa sector. KIT. 2018; Ecuador: Landwirtschaftsministerium Ecuador. WCC 2018; Landwirtschafsministerium Peru, 2015. Nicaragua: Präsentation WCC 2018; Kolumbien: Landwirtschaftsministerium Ecuador, 2016 |
Size of household | Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana: Demystifying the cocoa sector. KIT. 2018 |
Cocoa cultivation area | Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana: Demystifying the cocoa sector. KIT. 2018 |
Yield | General source: Strengthening the competitiveness of cocoa production and improving the income of cocoa producers in West and Central Africa. Südwind Institut. 2016; Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana: Demystifying the cocoa sector. KIT. 2018; Ecuador: Landwirtschaftsministerium Ecuador. WCC 2018; Dom.Rep.: Guía técnica del cultivo de cacao en la Republica Dominicana. CEDAF. 2009; Nigeria: SEO Report 2016; Kolumbien: Landwirtschaftsministerium Ecuador 2016 |
Daily income from cocoa farming | Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana: Demystifying the cocoa sector. KIT. 2018. Additionally to Côte d'Ivoire: Fairtrade Studie. The household income of cocoa farmers in Côte d'Ivoire and strategies for improvement. April 2018; Ecuador: Landwirtschaftsministerium Ecuador. WCC 2018; keine Equivalence Scales |
Daily total income | Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana: Demystifying the cocoa sector. KIT. 2018; no Equivalence Scales |
Share of cocoa in total income | Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana: Demystifying the cocoa sector. KIT. 2018; Zusätzlich für Côte d'Ivoire: Fairtrade Studie. The household income of cocoa farmers in Côte d'Ivoire and strategies for improvement. April 2018 |
National production 2015 - 2019 | General source: ICCO Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics Cocoa Year 2017/18; 2019/20. |
Farm-Gate-Price 2017/18 | General source: Strengthening the competitiveness of cocoa production and improving the income of cocoa producers in West and Central Africa. Südwind Institut. 2016; Kamerun: SEO Report. Market concentration and price formation in the global cocoa value chain. Appendix A. 2016 |
Farm-Gate-Price 2018/19 | https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2018/10/05/Cote-d-Ivoire-raises-cocoa-farmers-price-for-first-time-in-two-years |
Responsible national authority | General source: Strengthening the competitiveness of cocoa production and improving the income of cocoa producers in West and Central Africa. Südwind Institut. 2016 |
Deforestation | Global Forest Ressources Assessment. FAO. 2015, http://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment/current-assessment/country-reports/en/ |
Forest cover and forest loss | General source: own calculation based on data from Global Forest Watch. https://www.globalforestwatch.org; Wald mit mehr als 30 % Baumkronendichte |
Human Development Index | General source: http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries |