From bean to bar, the cocoa supply chain is a bittersweet one. While the end product is something most of us enjoy, this also comes with a human cost.

Based on how much cocoa comes from West Africa, it’s likely that most of the chocolates we eat have a little bit of Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana in them. The $130B chocolate industry relies on cocoa farming for supply of chocolate’s key ingredient. Yet, many cocoa farmers make less than $1/day. 

The above graphic maps the major trade flows of cocoa and allows us to dive deeper into its global supply chain.

The Key Nations in Cocoa’s Global Supply Chain

Growing cocoa has specific temperature, water, and humidity requirements. As a result, the equatorial regions of Africa, Central and South America, and Asia are optimal for cocoa farming. 

These regions host the biggest cocoa exporters by value.

Rank (2019)Exporting CountryValue (US$, millions)1Côte d’Ivoire $3,5752Ghana 
$1,8513Cameroon $6804Ecuador $6575Belgium $526

Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are responsible for 70% of global cocoa production, and cocoa exports play a huge role in their economies. Although the majority of exporters come from equatorial regions, Belgium stands out in fifth place. 

On the other hand, most of the top importers are in Europe—the Netherlands and Germany being the top two.

Rank (2019)Importing CountryValue (US$, millions)1Netherlands $2,2832Germany $1,1823U.S. $9314Malaysia $8265Belgium $719

In third place, the U.S. primarily sources its cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Ecuador. Mars, Hershey, Cargill, and Blommer—some of the world’s biggest chocolate manufacturers and processors—are headquartered in the U.S. 

Finally, it comes as no surprise that the biggest importers of cocoa beans are among the biggest chocolate exporters.

Rank (2019)CountryValue of Chocolate Exports 
(US$, millions)1Germany $4,9242Belgium $3,1433Italy $2,1004Netherlands $1,9925Poland $1,834

Not only is the Netherlands the biggest importer of beans, but it’s also the biggest processor—grinding 600,000 tons annually—and the fourth largest exporter of chocolate products. 

Belgium is another key nation in the supply chain, importing cocoa beans from producing countries and exporting them across Europe.

It’s also home to the world’s largest chocolate factory, supporting its annual chocolate exports worth $3.1 billion.

Credit: VisualCap

(By Govind Bhutada)