The harvesting of cocoa is far more than just picking fruit off trees. It’s a hands-on craft that calls for know-how, patience, and a deep connection to the land. Every pod is cut by hand, every bean counted. It’s slow, deliberate work—and in today’s changing climate, it’s only getting tougher.
At The Cocoa Circle, we believe the best way to support farmers is to understand what they’re up against. That’s why we visit cocoa-growing regions ourselves—to learn, listen, and share their stories. Here’s a closer look at what goes into the harvest, and how cocoa farmers are adapting to new challenges.
The Cocoa Harvesting Process Revealed
Cocoa trees thrive in tropical zones—within about 10 degrees of the Equator. Countries like Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, and Mexico are at the heart of the global cocoa supply.
Each year, farmers work through two main harvests:
- Main Harvest: The biggest crop. In West Africa, it typically runs from October to March; in Latin America, it’s usually mid-year.
- Mid-Crop: A smaller harvest that follows a few months later. It takes place between May and August in West Africa and late in the year for much of Latin America.
These cycles used to be reliable. Now, with shifting rainfall and rising temperatures, everything’s less predictable. Harvests can come early, late, or not at all. Climate change is throwing the cocoa harvesting calendar out of sync, and farmers are being forced to adjust.
Identifying a Ripe Cocoa Pod
Here’s the thing: cocoa pods on the same tree won’t ripen at the same time. Identifying the perfect pod is part science, part instinct. During the harvesting of cocoa, farmers check for:
- Colour changes – Often from green to yellow, orange, or red.
- Sound – A hollow knock suggests the seeds inside are loose and ready.
- Texture – Scraping the outer shell helps test maturity.
But these signals are shifting. Alma Hema, who runs Finca Las Delias in Mexico, says colour can no longer be trusted:
“It’s like we’re in an oven—they ripen too quickly. They don’t always go yellow. They stay green but they’re done. I have to tap them and listen.”
Harvesting by Hand
Once a cocoa pod hits peak ripeness, the real magic begins: harvest time!
How are cocoa beans harvested? Unlike mass-produced crops that rely on machines, cocoa is still harvested by hand, as it has been for centuries. Cocoa farmers use sharp machetes or special knives to cut the pods from the tree, making sure not to damage the delicate flower pads—small cushion-like structures from which new pods grow. Damaging them means no future fruit at that spot.
Cocoa trees in the wild can grow up to 12–15 meters tall, but on farms, they’re usually kept between 4–8 meters for easier harvesting. For higher-hanging pods, farmers use a pruning hook with a long pole.
Once picked, cocoa pods need to be opened within a week or so—otherwise the beans spoil or sprout.
Opening the Pods
Traditionally, farmers use a wooden club to crack open cocoa pods with a single clean hit. Some use machetes, but there’s a risk of damaging the beans. Larger farms might use machines, but small-scale farmers rely on hands-on methods passed down for generations.
Inside each pod: about 30–40 beans wrapped in a white pulp. This pulp is essential for the next stage—fermentation—which unlocks the complex flavours cocoa is known for.
How Much Cocoa Does a Harvest Yield?
Cocoa may be the heart of your favourite chocolate bar, but it doesn’t come easy. Every single bean is the result of hard work, skill—and a little bit of luck from the weather.
Here’s what a typical cocoa tree gives us:
- About 20–30 pods per year.
- Each pod holds 30–40 beans.
- And it takes roughly 400 dried beans to make just one pound (450g) of cocoa.
But that’s when Mother Nature plays nice. And lately, she hasn’t.
At Finca Las Delias, in Mexico, the smaller May harvest brought just 5,000 pods from 2,400 trees. That’s barely two pods per tree. Hotter days, harsher droughts, and unpredictable rain are cutting yields and pushing small-scale cocoa farmers to the brink.
Agroforestry: Smart Farming for a Changing Climate
As harvests grow more erratic, cocoa farmers are leaning into nature for solutions. Agroforestry—growing cocoa under the canopy of other crops like banana, timber, and citrus—is helping stabilise yields in the face of climate chaos.
By planting shade trees and companion crops, farmers can cool the soil, trap moisture, and shield their cacao from scorching sun or heavy rain. It’s not just smart—it’s regenerative. And it’s working on the ground.
Take Alma at Finca Las Delias, who plants nitrogen-fixing cacaguatillo trees alongside cacao to enrich the soil and hold in moisture—even during dry spells. Or Estelita from Campesina Del Cacao, who uses homemade biofertilisers from cocoa shells and leaf litter to protect her trees through record heatwaves. Their farms are thriving, even as the climate shifts.
Agroforestry proves that resilience and sustainability can grow side by side, pod by pod.
What Happens After Harvesting?
Harvesting is only the start. From here, beans are fermented, dried, and finally transformed into the cocoa we all know and love.
But that process wouldn’t exist without the people at the very beginning of the chain: the farmers. As we’ve seen, harvesting cocoa isn’t just about picking pods—it’s about timing, tradition, and tenacity. Cocoa farmers are navigating a fast-changing climate with centuries-old wisdom and forward-thinking solutions like agroforestry. Their efforts are shaping not just how cocoa is grown today, but what cocoa farming will look like tomorrow.
At The Cocoa Circle, we’re here to change the way cocoa works. That means making sure farmers get more support. Every purchase, every homemade recipe, every conversation—brings us one step closer to building a better cocoa future.
