From the original ten genetic clusters found in the Amazon basin, and its early cultivation in Meso-America, cocoa production has spread to literally span the globe. Today, cocoa is grown in more than 35 countries, with the largest production areas in West Africa, Latin America and Asia. Annual crop production is approximately 3 million tonnes, with a global market value of around $5 billion. Cocoa is grown by 6.5 million farmers, often on small farms of 5 hectares or less. However, the importance of cocoa in these communities extends well beyond farmers. It is estimated that more than 40 million people worldwide depend upon cocoa for their livelihood.

Though cocoa production spans the globe, it only grows in a narrow band 18° north and south of the equator, and is extremely sensitive to the soil conditions, temperature, amount of available sunlight and rainfall. This sensitivity makes cocoa and those communities dependent on the crop particularly vulnerable to the projected effects of global climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency in Ghana, for example, predicts that rainfall could be reduced by 20-40% and that temperatures could increase by 4°C by 2080. This would create conditions that would put one of the world’s largest cocoa-growing regions in peril. On the other side of the world, in Indonesia, the effects of climate change are already being felt with a shift in the timing of the annual monsoon rains that threatens cocoa plantings.

Key facts

• Cocoa requires very specific growing conditions; the crop is particularly sensitive to soil water levels, and both the overall amount and timing of annual rainfall is critical.  It is also susceptible to pests and disease, with some estimates putting losses as high as 40% of global production.
• Just as the cocoa crop itself is at risk, so too are those communities that depend upon it.  As Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has pointed out, “It is the poorest of the poor in the world… who are going to be the worst hit.”
• For these reasons, only global activities can make a positive difference for cocoa farmers and their families, and sustainable production is crucial to this. We are committed to sharing knowledge and working collaboratively to promote responsible methods of cocoa production throughout the growing regions.