1.2 Cocoa production world-wide

The nature of cocoa production has changed considerably over the last century, with enormous shifts, not only in how the crop is produced, but also where it is grown. Information on the production of the crop is available from online sources such as the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

The chart above (Fig.1.2) indicates trends in bean production in the top 12 cocoa growing countries over the last decade: they account for about 95% of total world production. 

Over longer periods, dramatic changes have occurred. Having originated in the Americas, the crop was increasingly cultivated there (including the Caribbean), and in 1900 the region still grew some 80% of the world crop. 

By 1980, the proportion had reduced to approximately 36%, then 12% by 2000 due to many factors, but especially crop disease pressure. 

In contrast, African production increased from 16% in 1900 to a little over 70% of world production, where it has remained since. Production in the Asia-Pacific region that is currently dominated by Indonesia, increased from approximately 5% to 19% over the 20^th century, but is now less than 15%, partly due to insect pests.

Current forecasts for the 2020/21 production season put world production at just over 5 million tonnes with Africa accounting for 77% of production, the Americas 17% and Asia and Oceania 6% (Fig. 1.3) [1].

Three South American countries: Ecuador, Peru and Colombia have shown production increases over the last decade as has Côte d'Ivoire, the world leader. Statistics for countries recently producing more than 100,000 tonnes of cocoa beans annually are indicated in table 1.1.
 

Table 1.1 Estimated bean output, growing area and changes in major producing countries. Statistics tend to fluctuate and percentage increase/decrease was calculated from the first and final two years of the decade.

The differences may indicate many factors of course including policy and farmer decisions, besides the impact of fertility, crop pests and other agronomic factors. Many cocoa farmers are smallholders, who usually minimise inputs for pest and disease management, and may not be willing or able to invest their time or resources in any pest management when cocoa prices are low. 

Losses of cocoa to diseases globally is often estimated and reported as 30-40% annually, this estimate does not include the losses due to insect pests. If these estimates are anywhere near accurate, the loss of yield due to pests and diseases has a significant impact on farmer income. 

In Asia, they are known to have made hard economic decisions, shifting production from cocoa to more profitable crops such as fruit trees. 

In Indonesia (and Malaysia at the end of the last century), the costs of labour and crop protection have been very significant factors, especially for control of a ‘new encounter’ pest: the cocoa pod borer.

In Central and South America, the spread of the 'co-evolved' Moniliophthora diseases - witches’ broom and frosty pod rot – resulted in dramatic declines in production, with the latter having the capacity to reduce yields by more than 80%. 

The diseases caused by Phytophthora megakarya (black pod) and cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV) have both been major constraints in West Africa with management of the later resulting in massive ‘cutting out’ campaigns in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus in both Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.