The cocoa supply chain is very complex. More than 90% of all cocoa comes from some three million small family farmers who depend on cocoa production for their livelihoods.
A typical West African farm covers five to eight acres of land and may grow approximately 2,500 cacao trees.
But conditions are rarely ideal for the farmer to produce a good crop. An estimated one-third or more of the world's cocoa is lost to pests and diseases every year, having a potentially devastating impact on small farmers whose livelihoods depend on the yields of a healthy crop; sometimes these farmers suffer a total loss of their harvest.
Many groups have an interest in addressing the issues facing cocoa farmers:
- The chocolate industry needs a stable supply of raw ingredients
- Environmental groups seek to preserve the natural habitats that cocoa creates in otherwise fragile tropical regions
- Donor organizations aim to raise rural incomes
- Cocoa farmers need a dependable source of income
- National governments look to support domestic agriculture and raise living standards in the rural communities
Our support - and that of many other stakeholders - is designed to provide for future supplies of cocoa, while at the same time ensuring a sense of responsibility as well as sustainability in its production.
