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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Nearly nine million Ivorians were eligible to vote on Saturday, but turnout was around 50 percent, a figure comparable to the 2010 and 2015 elections , yet well below the 80 percent participation seen in the first round of the 2010 poll.

The election , held on October 25, excluded Ouattara’s most formidable rivals. Former President Laurent Gbagbo was barred from running due to a criminal conviction, while former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam was disqualified for holding French citizenship. With both sidelined, observers say the path was clear for Ouattara’s “landslide victory.”

Among the remaining candidates, Jean-Louis Billon, a former commerce minister, received 3.09 percent of the vote, while former First Lady Simone Gbagbo garnered 2.42 percent, according to official results .

Ouattara, who has ruled since 2011, has described this new mandate as one of “generational transition,” promising to guide the country toward a younger political era. However, critics argue that such pledges have faded into repetition, with little sign of genuine renewal.

In 2016, a new constitution reset presidential term limits, legally allowing Ouattara to run again.

Supporters credit Ouattara with steering the Ivory Coast toward economic revival, boasting annual growth rates near six percent and a surge in infrastructure development. They argue his steady leadership has safeguarded the country from the instability that has engulfed parts of the Sahel region.