Chocolate
(information)
Top Exporters
- **Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)** – The largest producer and exporter of cocoa in the world.
- **Ghana** – The second-largest producer and exporter of cocoa.
- **Ecuador** – The largest cocoa exporter in South America.
- **Nigeria** – A significant player in the West African cocoa market.
- **Cameroon** – Another key cocoa exporter from West Africa.
- **Brazil** – One of the top cocoa producers in Latin America.
- **Indonesia** – The largest cocoa exporter in Asia.
- **Peru** – Known for high-quality cocoa production, particularly fine flavor cocoa.
- **Dominican Republic** – A top cocoa exporter from the Caribbean.
- **Papua New Guinea** – Produces small but high-quality amounts of cocoa.
- **Mexico** – One of the largest cocoa producers in North America.
- **Togo** – A smaller yet important West African cocoa exporter.
- **Sierra Leone** – Growing in cocoa production and exports.
- **Colombia** – A rising producer in the Latin American cocoa industry.
- **Venezuela** – Known for its premium "criollo" cocoa variety.
- **Honduras** – Another important cocoa exporter from Central America.
- **Guatemala** – A growing exporter of fine flavor cocoa.
- **Uganda** – Emerging as a cocoa exporter in East Africa.
- **Liberia** – Expanding its cocoa production in West Africa.
- **Philippines** – A smaller player but growing in the cocoa export market.
Growing and Harvesting Chocolate
Cocoa is primarily grown in tropical regions within 20 degrees of the equator, where the climate is hot and humid. Here's an overview of the process:
### 1. **Climate and Soil**
- **Location**: Cocoa is grown in areas with consistent warm temperatures (between 21–32°C), high humidity, and well-distributed rainfall (1000–2500 mm annually).
- **Soil**: Cocoa plants thrive in deep, fertile, well-drained soils rich in organic matter, with a slightly acidic pH (5-7).
### 2. **Planting**
- **Propagation**: Cocoa is usually grown from seeds or young seedlings. Farmers plant cocoa trees in nurseries and then transfer them to the field when they're strong enough.
- **Spacing**: Trees are planted about 3 meters apart to allow room for growth and sunlight. Cocoa is often grown under the shade of taller trees, such as banana or rubber trees, which help protect the delicate plants from direct sunlight and wind.
### 3. **Growth and Maturity**
- **Time to Maturity**: Cocoa trees begin to bear fruit about 3 to 5 years after planting. A healthy tree can produce cocoa pods for about 25 years or more.
- **Pods**: The cocoa pods, which contain the cocoa beans, grow directly on the trunk and large branches of the tree. Each pod holds 20–50 cocoa beans surrounded by sweet, pulpy fruit.
### 4. **Harvesting**
- **Timing**: Cocoa is harvested once or twice a year. The pods change color (typically turning yellow, orange, or red) when they are ripe and ready for harvesting.
- **Method**: Harvesters use machetes or knives to cut the pods from the trees carefully to avoid damaging the branches.
### 5. **Fermentation**
- After the beans are removed from the pods, they are fermented for 5–7 days. This process is crucial for developing the beans' flavor.
### 6. **Drying**
- The fermented beans are spread out to dry in the sun for up to two weeks. Drying reduces the moisture content and prepares the beans for transport and further processing.
### 7. **Transportation and Processing**
- Once dried, the beans are packed and shipped to processing plants, where they are roasted, ground, and turned into cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, or cocoa powder, which are the key ingredients in chocolate production.
Cocoa farming is labor-intensive and requires careful attention at each stage to ensure high-quality beans, especially for premium markets like chocolate manufacturing. Most cocoa is produced by smallholder farmers.
