The Cocoa Story

The area where the cocoa tree grows is between 20 degrees north and south latitude, but not all land in this latitude is suitable for planting. Other environmental conditions will also affect the growth of cocoa. For example, the temperature cannot be lower than 10 C, and it is best to maintain a constant temperature of 25 C. The annual rainfall is between 1200~2500mm; there must be shade and 25%~50% sunlight exposure; the altitude is below 1200 meters; the soil must maintain humidity all year round, and it must be rich in potassium carbonate, magnesium, calcium.......

Explain the growing environment of cocoa	Explain the color of cocoa	See the appearance of the cocoa fruit

According to statistics, the total output of cocoa in the world in 2014 was about 4.5 million metric tons. Ivory Coast and Ghana in Africa are the two largest producers, and these two countries alone account for more than 50% of the world's output. Moreover, these two countries also directly export cocoa beans and are the largest cocoa exporters.

Cocoa Fruit at Cocoa Farm	Cocoa fermentation room	Guide's commentary

The supply of cocoa can be divided into cocoa beans and cocoa powder. Because the storage and transportation of cocoa powder is not easy, most routes from Africa to Europe are mainly cocoa beans. After arriving in Europe, they are processed into cocoa powder and shipped to various places for sale. The cacao tree takes 4 to 5 years to produce cocoa beans. Therefore, if the cocoa production is reduced due to natural and man-made disasters, it will take 4 to 5 years to make up for the production gap. Therefore, the amount of inventory is very important.

Cocoa beans cannot be harvested mechanically, and labor is required. Ivory Coast, the largest producer, relies on foreign labor from neighboring Liberia and Guinea to complete the cocoa harvest. However, the Ebola epidemic in Africa spread in 2014. This caused a shortage of manpower, causing the price of cocoa to rise by 15%. In June 2007 and May 2015, there was a drought in West Africa, and the price of cocoa at that time also rose by 15% to 20%.