In this article we are going to list the Top 25 Chocolate Producing Countries In the World. Click to skip ahead and jump to the Top 5 Chocolate Producing Countries In the World.
Who doesn’t like chocolate? No really, who doesn’t? If you look around and ask people, you will be hard-pressed to find maybe 1 out of 10 who don’t like any chocolate at all. Sure, some may prefer dark chocolate while others cant stand it, some may prefer bars with nuts in them while others might want those fruit flavored abominations, but few will outright come out and say they can’t stand any version of chocolate at all. The global chocolate market is worth well over a hundred billion dollars and is expected to continue its growth, and is expected to reach $182 billion in 2025, which represents a CAGR of 4.78% between 2019 and 2025.
Due to its massive popularity across all age groups, ethnicities, cultures and nationalities, chocolate is among the most consumed foods in the entire world and is generally made from cocoa liquor, cocoa seeds, cocoa butter, sugar and milk. It can be combined with almost any flavor as apparent in the examples I’ve mentioned above. Some countries are even known for their chocolate production and the quality of chocolate they produce. For example, Belgium and Switzerland are famous for their chocolate and Swiss-based Nestle is one of the biggest manufacturers of chocolate in the world, with other major chocolate producers including Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ), Hershey Co (NYSE:HSY), General Mills, Inc (NYSE:GIS) and Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC).
The storage of chocolate can often be tricky, because they are extremely sensitive to temperature and environment. In high temperature and high humidity countries, chocolate needs to be stored in fridges or freezers or in temperature-controlled environments as it will melt otherwise, while temperature fluctuations may result in the fat blooming too. In colder countries, the storage is easier.
Dark chocolate can also be beneficial for the overall well-being. While chocolate is often regarded as being unhealthy due to the fact that sugar is added to most chocolate. However, dark chocolate with a high enough percentage of cocoa does not include sugar in such high amounts which is why it has a more bitter taste than other chocolates, and can be an acquired taste. However, in addition to being quite delicious, dark chocolate is also healthy as it is a great source of antioxidants while also helping in improving blood flow as well as lowering blood pressure. Furthermore, it is said to be responsible for raising high-density lipoproteins (aka HDL aka the “good” cholesterol) while also protecting LDL (aka the “bad” cholesterol) from oxidation and can even reduce the risk of heart disease. Since the health benefits of dark chocolate is a relatively recent discovery, its popularity and demand is expected to grow even more in the next several years.
However, in recent years, there has been alarm at whether the supply of chocolate is at risk or not. In 2012, there were reports that there would be a massive shortage of chocolate as supply was limited, which even led Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ) to begin a program to help farmers in growing cocoa more efficiently. Add to this the fact that the biggest sources of cocoa are from unstable regions in Africa, and you can see why uncertainty would start to thrive. The program led by Mondelez International Inc (MDLZ) led to a 15% greater yield as compared to that of non-participants, while Mars and Hershey Co (NYSE:HSY) agreed to implement similar programs and invest in farmers as well. News of shortages even led to prices of cocoa rising but for now, supply is still exceeding demand and there doesn’t seem to be any real immediate cause of concern.
As I mentioned earlier, the vast majority of cocoa is sourced from countries that are considered emerging markets and can often be marked by economic, social and political instability. Nevertheless, chocolate producers like Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ) and Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC) are considered among the safest bets to invest in. This is mainly due to the fact that these companies source their raw materials from a variety of countries and are also diversified across different products. Some of the top investors in the world are betting big on these companies. For example, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire holds over $13 billion worth of Kraft Heinz, while Nelson Peltz’s Trian Partners owns more than 9.3 million shares of Mondelez International.
Moreover, some of the top chocolate companies in the world also rank as some of the most popular food companies among hedge funds. For example, in Mondelez, there were 45 hedge funds holding shares at the end of March, while Hershey Co and Kraft Heinz saw 42 and 33 hedge funds with long positions, respectively.
While Switzerland and Belgium may be famous for their chocolate, they don’t even make it to the top 25 chocolate producing countries in the world. In fact, our list is dominated by Africa, from which 12 countries were included, and South America with five countries. The total production of cocoa, the main source of chocolate, for these 25 top countries amounted 5.55 million tons. Just the top two countries in our list are responsible for more than half of the total production of these top 25 chocolate-producing countries. So without further ado, let’s dive in and take a look at the biggest sources of one of the most beloved foods in the world, starting with number 25:
25. Philippines
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 8,489
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 7,983
Even though it has a strong competitive advantage, the Philippines needs to do a lot more to become a major player in the cocoa industry.
24. Togo
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 10,000
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 10,000
Togo ranks 24th on our list of the top chocolate producing countries in the world. Togolese cacao provides a distinctive flavor as compared to other bars around the world.
KARA, TOGO/Shutterstock.com
23. Democratic Republic of Congo
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 10,000
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 15,000
Congo’s production of cocoa declined by a third from just 2018 to 2019.
22. Madagascar
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 10,175
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 12,000
Madagascar is home to some fine varieties of cocoa, cultivated by 33,000 farmers in the country.
Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock.com
21. Liberia
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 12,000
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 12,000
Liberia may not rank as highly as other West African countries but is still becoming a major player in the global chocolate industry.
20. Guatemala
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 12,473
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 12,462
Guatemala has around 250,000 farmers who are engaged in the growing and production of cocoa.
Pixabay/Public Domain
19. Tanzania
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 13,000
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 15,000
Tanzania ranks 19th on our list of the top chocolate producing countries in the world. Tanzania witnessed a 13% decline in its cocoa production year on year.
Delbars/Shutterstock.com
18. Sierra Leone
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 14,648
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 50,150
Sierra Leone easily witnessed the biggest fall in production among the countries in our list, with production falling nearly 71%.
LEONARDO VITI/Shutterstock.com
17. Haiti
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 16,876
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 16,141
Haiti is one of the more unusual entries in our list of top chocolate producing companies in the world, and is continuing to develop its cocoa industry, which means it might soon place higher on our list.
16. Guinea
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 17,342
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 20,700
Guinea ranks 16th on our list of the top chocolate producing countries in the world. Guinea has the perfect climate to grow exotic cacao trees, which provide the cocoa seeds used in the production of chocolate.
alarico/Shutterstock.com
15. Venezuela
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 23,847
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 24,303
While not as major a player as some other countries in our list, Venezuelan cocoa does have a major market in the United States, with record volumes in 2019.
14. India
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 24,000
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 20,000
India has been cultivating cocoa in an area greater than 75,000 hectares in the provinces of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Pixabay/Public Domain
13. Mexico
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 28,452
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 28,399
Just two states in Mexico account for nearly 100% of cocoa production, which has seen a resurgence in the country recently.
Pixabay/Public Domain
12. Uganda
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 35,000
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 35,000
Uganda’s climate is quite conducive to the production of cocoa, even though its numbers have remained the same over the past one year.
11. Papua New Guinea
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 45,668
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 45,598
Cocoa is farmed in 14 out of 22 provinces in the country of Papua New Guinea.
isaxar/Shutterstock.com
10. Dominican Republic
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 88,961
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 85,139
There are around 40,000 cocoa producers in the country which have planted 150,000 hectares worth of cocoa, with around 16.5% being engaged in the production of organic cocoa, which is in high demand nowadays.
9. Colombia
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 102,154
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 97,978
Colombia ranks 9th on our list of the top chocolate producing countries in the world. Colombia’s increase in cocoa production has been modest between 2018 and 2019, but in the last decade the increase has actually been more than 60%, propelling it high up in the list of the biggest chocolate producing countries.
Pixabay/Public Domain
8. Peru
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 135,928
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 134,676
Peru’s production remained mostly constant year on year and is also known for being the world’s biggest organic cocoa producer.
Jess Kraft / Shutterstock.com
7. Brazil
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 259,425
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 239,318
Brazil maintained high production of cocoa in the 1980s before the production declined significantly in the 1990s and early 2000s. However, the industry has seen a resurgence in the last decade once more.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6. Cameroon
Total cocoa production by the country in 2019 (in tons): 280,000
Total cocoa production by the country in 2018 (in tons): 249,900
Cameroon registered one of the highest increases in production from 2018 to 2019 at 12.6%, and cemented its place among the top chocolate producing countries in the world.
Please continue to see the Top 5 Chocolate Producing Countries In the World.
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Disclosure: None. Top 25 Chocolate Producing Countries In the World is originally published at Insider Monkey.
