Which African country is the world's largest exporter of cocoa beans?

Ivory Coast is the world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans. The country, officially Côte d’Ivoire, dominates the global supply of the raw beans used to make chocolate.

Cocoa production expanded rapidly there during the 20th century, especially in the forested southern regions. Smallholder farmers produce most of the crop, and beans are exported through ports including Abidjan and San-Pédro. Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa industry is closely tied to international commodity markets and provides income for millions of people.

A common mix-up is confusing cocoa beans with processed chocolate, cocoa powder, or cocoa butter. Countries such as the Netherlands can rank highly in exports of processed cocoa because they import beans, refine them, and re-export the products. Ghana is also a major cocoa producer, but it does not surpass Côte d’Ivoire in bean exports.

Cocoa is grown from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree, whose scientific name is Theobroma cacao. The word “cocoa” generally refers to the processed beans or products made from them, while “cacao” is often used for the plant and raw material.