Cocoa is an evergreen "chocolate" tree. It is cultivated in the tropics of both hemispheres for the seeds used in the confectionery industry. It is the main ingredient in chocolate. Approximately 70% of the world's cocoa is harvested in African countries.
Leading countries in cocoa production
The largest producer of cocoa beans is the Ivory Coast. This African state accounts for 30% of the annual harvest worldwide. About 1 million tons of cocoa are exported annually. It should be noted that the production of beans takes place without the use of agricultural machinery. On plantations, even today, slave labor is used. In 2012, Côte d'Ivoire asked Iran to build a tractor assembly line for agricultural machinery in the country to facilitate the traditional way of growing cocoa. According to unofficial data, about 800,000 children are employed on the country's plantations.
Ghana is an African country, a major exporter of cocoa beans. Located adjacent to the Ivory Coast. It produces about 700,000 tons of raw materials every year. Half of Ghana's cultivated land is occupied by the planting of cocoa trees. The country increases its cocoa harvest every year. To do this, the government raises wages to farmers and uses fungicides and pesticides extensively. Also, the Ministry of Finance annually distributes 20 million cocoa seedlings free of charge to local farmers.
Sulawes Island, under the wing of Indonesia, is the third largest cocoa producer in the world. However, the volume of the harvest is falling every year. Since half of the trees are over 20 years old and produce little cocoa beans. And the peasants are slowly switching to other more profitable crops.
Other major exporters
Nigeria ranks fourth in the world in the harvest of "chocolate" product. Cocoa production reaches 300,000 tons annually. The state is doing a lot to increase the yield of beans. Cocoa exports are expected to grow by 20% in the future.
Cameroon, along with other African countries, occupies a leading position in the production of cocoa. 70% of the population works on plantations where trees are grown. Cocoa is also produced on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean - in Brazil. The region known as the Cocoa Coast is home to dozens of chocolate tree plantations. There are also factories for further processing of raw materials.
Countries such as Ecuador, Togo, Papua New Guinea, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela and Malaysia are also top producers of cocoa beans. Each year they yield from 18 thousand to 200 thousand tons. The homeland of cocoa is considered to be the coast of the Amazon River in Latin America. But coffee and cocoa changed areas: coffee began to be produced by the countries of South America, cocoa - by the states of subequatorial Africa.
