Process Flowchart

Cocoa is a natural crop mainly grown on sustainable family farms in equatorial regions of Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. It’s often intercropped with plants like plantain, maize, and spices, which provide shade for young cocoa trees and extra food and income for farmers.

Cocoa processing begins on the farm, where pods are harvested, the beans are fermented for about seven days to develop their flavor and color, then sun-dried for around ten days. The beans are cleaned, graded, and sent to manufacturers, where they’re roasted and winnowed to separate the nibs. These nibs are ground into cocoa liquor, which is then processed into cocoa powder and cocoa butter used in chocolate, drinks, and cooking.