The bar, made from nearly 2,000 kilograms of chocolate, surpasses the 220-metre record set in 2025.

The country’s dominance reflects its long-established role as a global cocoa processing and food manufacturing hub, centred around the Port of Amsterdam and advanced agri-processing infrastructure.

Malaysia ranked second with 12.2% of global exports worth $422 million, underscoring Southeast Asia’s growing importance in value-added food processing, even though much of its cocoa is imported.

Germany followed closely, exporting $364 million worth of hot chocolate products, while Indonesia and Spain rounded out the top five exporters.

Data from World ’s Top Exports confirms that countries leading hot chocolate exports are typically those with strong food processing industries, advanced logistics, and access to global markets, rather than simply cocoa production alone.

This explains why France, Singapore, the United States and Brazil also feature among the top exporters, each leveraging manufacturing capacity, branding, and distribution networks to compete globally.

Notably, Ghana, one of the world’s largest cocoa producers, appears on the list with $142 million in exports, reflecting gradual progress in moving beyond raw cocoa exports toward finished and semi-finished chocolate products, an issue long debated in African trade and industrialisation policy .

The hot chocolate trade figures come amid broader shifts in global food markets. Rising cocoa prices, driven by climate-related supply disruptions in West Africa and tighter global stocks, have placed pressure on manufacturers worldwide.

In 2024, cocoa prices reached multi-decade highs , prompting concerns about inflation in chocolate and confectionery products.

At the same time, global demand for premium and ready-to-drink chocolate beverages has risen, particularly in Europe, North America and parts of Asia, boosting export volumes despite higher input costs.

Many of the provinces carry names rooted in Indigenous languages such as Quechua, Mapuche, and Guaraní. Others have Spanish colonial or religious origins.

For example:

Even more interesting translations, such as “Very Pronounced Point Between Two Rivers” (Chaco) or “Prickly Plant Fruit” (Tucumán), come from Indigenous terms describing local landscapes, flora, or cultural practices.

The giant behind the cocoa supply

Africa produces over 70% of the world’s cocoa, with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana leading global supply.

Yet despite this dominance, Africa captures less than 5% of the global chocolate market value. Most of the wealth is made after cocoa leaves African shores through processing, branding, and retail.

Why Africa eats the least chocolate

Despite being the world’s largest cocoa source, chocolate consumption in Africa remains extremely low:

Reasons include affordability, limited local processing, low exposure, and the fact that chocolate has historically been marketed as a luxury import rather than a locally crafted product.

The world’s best chocolate

In a surprising twist, Peru was recently awarded the title of “World’s Best Chocolate” in global competitions such as the International Chocolate Awards and the Salon du Chocolat recognitions. Peru produces far less cocoa than West Africa , around 2% of global supply, but has invested heavily in:

By controlling more of the value chain, Peru has achieved what many African producers aspire to: global recognition for premium chocolate, not just raw cocoa.

The politics of value chains

The chocolate industry remains shaped by colonial trading patterns:

Efforts by Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to impose a Living Income Differential (LID) show the struggle for fair pricing and better livelihoods for farmers who remain among the poorest in the agricultural sector.

Reframing the future

The future of chocolate depends on shifting power:

As chocolate continues to shape global tastes and economies, the question remains: Will Africa continue feeding the world or begin feeding itself?

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World Reframed is produced in London by  Global South  World, part of the Impactum Group. Its editors are Duncan Hooper and Ismail Akwei.

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Crafted by Cacaosuyo using cacao from Junin, the bar was named the overall winner at this year’s global competition.

Known informally as the “Chocolate Oscars,” the International Chocolate Awards are organised by a global network of specialists in cacao, gastronomy, and sensory analysis. The competition follows a regional format, with the Latin American round held in April and the final event taking place in Florence, Italy.

“On a personal level, having created a chocolate that has been recognised as the best in the world is an immense joy, because the idea and the whole concept of cacao came from the very beginning. The goal was to present Peruvian cacao to the world through our chocolate,” said Samir Giha, founder of Theobroma Inversiones and creator of the Cacaosuyo brand.

“I decided to make chocolate 12 years ago because it was something I was passionate about. I loved chocolate, and my daughters and I would talk about creating something nutritious but also delicious and sweet,” he told Viory.

Cacaosuyo has received consistent recognition in recent years. Its dark chocolate bars from Amazonas, Cusco, and Piura have earned World Gold for four consecutive years. The Piura Milk bar has also won five World Gold awards, including one for best milk chocolate.

In this year’s final, the El Ganso 70% bar outperformed entries from Europe , Africa, and Asia. The 2025 competition saw over 3,500 chocolate samples submitted from across the world. Latin American producers were well represented, with at least ten countries participating.