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Opportunities Borne from a Growing Global Appetite for Chocolate

Worldwide demand for cocoa has been rising 2% to 3% annually, and that trend is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. Chocolate manufacturers and semi-processors have a vested interest in making cocoa cultivation profitable for smallholder farmers to ensure that their demand is met in years to come. This is a unique opportunity for development cooperation in collaboration with private partners. 

The international market for chocolate and cocoa products is growing. Millions of more consumers have entered the middle class, especially across Asia, and they have discovered a taste for chocolate. At the same time, the public is becoming sensitised to matters such as child labour, human rights, a living income, climate change, and environmental degradation.

For decades, the chocolate industry has been moving from hands-off, importer of cocoa beans, to a much more engaged partner to develop a supply of cocoa beans that are grown in climate resilient farming systems that improve livelihoods and sustain ecosystems. With these market pressures looming, partners across the entire supply chain are collaborating intensively to secure sustainable cocoa supplies.