Chocolate Is Big Money—But Not for Farmers
African producers are trying to capture more of the profits that flow from their lucrative cocoa crop to European companies.
Africa+: Africa’s Plan to Bring Chocolate Profits Home
The $100 billion chocolate industry largely begins in South America and Africa. Ivory Coast and Ghana are among the biggest producers of cocoa beans, beans that are eventually shipped raw to the European Union. Once there, they are transformed into the chocolate products consumers know and love.
The big money to be made, however, is in the production and sale of chocolate, rather than the hard work of farming and harvesting. In this episode of Africa+, we explore how cocoa farming was first introduced to Africa by European colonial powers, and how African governments and entrepreneurs are now looking to break the colonial cycle, and keep more of the profits in Africa.