Brazil: production of cocoa beans 2012-2023

The production of cocoa beans in Brazil has oscillated in recent years, reaching up to 230 thousand metric tons in market year 2014/2015. In the 2022/2023 season, the South American country was expected to produce approximately 220 thousand tons of cocoa beans.

Cultivation and market value

More than 585 thousand hectares planted with cocoa were harvested in Brazil in 2020, and the production value of this crop amounted to more than 3.2 billion Brazilian reals. Cocoa or cocoa beans are the primary ingredient in the production of chocolate and other cacao-derived products. The cocoa, chocolate, and candies sector in Brazil generated a net revenue of nearly 17 billion Brazilian reals that same year.

Cocoa around the world

The origins of cocoa can be traced back to Latin America, as the cocoa tree is endemic to Central and South America and some parts of Mexico. Nowadays more than three quarters of cocoa production worldwide is concentrated in the African continent. Nonetheless, South America still plays a role in the global market, with Ecuador ranking as the third largest cocoa producer, and Brazil ranking among the top seven.