Before chocolate became a global obsession, it started with cacao—and no country has shaped that story quite like Ivory Coast.
Ivory Coast is known as the world’s largest cacao producer, responsible for roughly 40% of the global supply. That’s a lot of beans! But the story behind those beans is layered with history, culture, challenges, and exciting change.
History of Cacao in Ivory Coast
Cacao in Ivory Coast traces back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it was introduced under French colonial rule as a cash crop designed to export. From the start, its growth was shaped by a deeper story of exploitation, where most farmers had little choice or power in the system, and labor conditions were harsh. Despite these conditions, Ivorian farmers embraced cacao and made it their own.
Through resilience and adaptation, they cultivated cacao with such innovation and efficiency that it became a pillar of the national economy. Cacao in Ivory Coast saw exponential growth throughout the 20th century. By the mid-1970s, the country had become the world’s leading cacao producer, a title it has held consistently ever since. Favourable climate, fertile soil, and government support through subsidies and infrastructure helped propel the to new heights.
Today, cacao farming occupies a significant portion of Ivory Coast’s agricultural landscape, providing livelihoods for millions of people across the country. Most of the cacao is grown on family-owned plots of land using traditional methods.
The Challenges Behind the Chocolate
Here’s the truth: while Ivory Coast’s cacao industry is massive, it’s not without its issues. Sustainability and ethics are at the heart of many challenges, including:
Child labor and gender inequality
Deforestation from expanding farms
Low farmgate prices for growers
These problems are complex, and they don’t have quick fixes. But, there are some promising efforts by both the government and industry stakeholders to address these issues.
Projects are underway to combat child labor, promote reforestation, and ensure that farmers receive fair prices for their crops.
Certification programs like Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance have also gained traction, providing consumers with assurance that the cacao used in their chocolate is sourced more ethically and sustainably.
Ivory Coast’s Cocoa Fruit Lab
One of the most exciting shifts is happening through the Cocoa Fruit Lab, a trailblazing project that puts power directly into the hands of Ivorian women.
This initiative supports women farmers in producing and marketing their own cacao products, from chocolate bars to cacao juice. This marks a crucial step in boosting local economies, particularly empowering women who traditionally face limited access to land, credit, and training in the cacao sector.
The lab is helping create the first entirely women-owned micro-factory in Ivory Coast, producing not just chocolate, but cacao juice—a refreshing drink made from the white pulp that normally gets discarded during bean fermentation. By turning that pulp into profit, farmers can boost their income by up to 30% per kilo—with minimal extra effort.
The first participants? A group of 400 women farmers from the COVIMA cooperative in Marahoué, working alongside partners like Beyond Beans, Kumasi Drinks, Rokbar, and technical experts from Koa and Döhler Holland.
It’s female-led innovation that’s good for people and the planet.
What the Future Holds
Ivory Coast’s cacao industry is standing at a crossroads. On one hand, it remains a global cacao powerhouse. On the other, there’s growing pressure to improve environmental and labor practices while increasing farmers’ share of the value chain.
The good news is there’s momentum. From grassroots cooperatives to international collaborations, more eyes (and resources) are focused on how cacao is grown—not just how much.
And that matters for all of us. Because the next time you savour a piece of dark chocolate or stir cocoa powder into your morning smoothie, chances are the beans came from Ivory Coast.
Choosing ethically sourced cacao is one small way we can support the people that grow it. It’s a first step in shifting the cacao story from extractive to empowering.
