Cocoa recovery in Ivory Coast eases global chocolate crisis
Expected recovery in production
Written by Omnia Hassan
Ivory Coast, the largest cocoa producer in the world Its production is expected to rise to more than two million tons during the 2025/2026 season, signaling a strong recovery after years of supply disruptions that pushed global chocolate prices to record levels.
Motives for recovery
The Ivorian Coffee and Cocoa Council reported that higher prices over the past two seasons have encouraged farmers to improve production through the use of fertilizers and better farm management, raising the quantities supplied to ports to more than 1.7 million tons by mid-May, an upward trend compared to previous years.
Future risks
Despite this recovery, forecasts warn of the risks of drought and poor crop development in the coming season, in addition to large quantities of unsold cocoa due to some farmers' delays in selling, amid increasing climatic fluctuations that threaten the stability of supplies in West Africa.
Unprecedented rise in cocoa and chocolate prices
The expected increase in production in Ivory Coast represents a glimmer of hope for global markets that have suffered over the past two years from an unprecedented rise in cocoa and chocolate prices, as declining supplies from West Africa have put significant pressure on manufacturing companies and increased production costs.
As supply begins to improve, analysts expect markets to see some relative price stability if the flow of grain to European and American ports and warehouses continues. However, this improvement may not be long-lasting, given the ongoing concerns about climate change and fluctuating rainfall, which makes the cocoa sector one of the most sensitive agricultural sectors in the world.
In this context, experts believe that the continued recovery of cocoa production in Ivory Coast may alleviate pressure on consumers globally, especially in European and American markets that have witnessed a significant rise in chocolate prices in the recent period.
Greater investments in improving agriculture
Increased supply could also restore balance to the global agricultural commodities market after years of sharp fluctuations. However, climate risks remain a real threat to cocoa production, necessitating greater investment in improving agriculture and agricultural infrastructure.
