Top 5 Cocoa Producing Countries: Where Does Indonesia Rank?

Cocoa is a plant used as a raw material for chocolate. As a tropical plant, cocoa thrives in Indonesia's soil and climate. According to *WorldAtlas*, Indonesia is the world's third-largest cocoa producer, with production reaching 659,700 tons in 2020.

Indonesia is also the only one of the top five cocoa-producing countries countries not located in Africa, but rather in Southeast Asia. According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), several provinces in Sulawesi were the largest national cocoa producers in 2020. Central Sulawesi was the province with the highest cocoa production, at 128,200 tons.

Ivory Coast remains the world's largest cocoa bean producer. In 2020, this West African nation produced 2.03 million tons of cocoa. Cocoa exports account for 40% of Ivory Coast's export revenue, meaning its national economy is heavily reliant on cocoa prices. The country's population exceeds 26 million, with over six million people working in the cocoa production sector.

Ghana is the second-largest cocoa producer, with total production reaching 883,600 tons in 2020. Cocoa production contributes 30% to the country's export revenue. Nigeria is the next largest cocoa producer after Indonesia, with production reaching 328,270 tons in 2020. However, the country has not fully utilized its cocoa harvest due to many old cocoa trees, outdated farming methods, and improper use of chemicals in cocoa bean cultivation.

Cameroon is the world's fifth-largest cocoa producer, with production reaching 295,000 tons in 2020. Cocoa cultivation is a primary source of income for most of the country's rural population. However, the sustainability of cocoa cultivation is questionable because most cocoa farms in the country are old and poorly maintained.

(read: Malaysia was the main destination for Indonesian cocoa exports in 2020)