95% of the world’s cocoa production comes from family smallholdings with one to three hectares of cocoa plantation . More than 5 million cocoa smallholders in tropical areas produced 5.2 million tonnes of fermented cocoa beans in 2017, which they sold to a number of multinational chocolate companies. The beans arriving in consumer countries are roasted, crushed and pressed to produce chocolate and chocolate confectionery.
How can small producers set themselves apart? How can they demonstrate the value of their production in the face of strong competition?
