2026.05.11
Here’s a quick question.
Chocolate is something many of us enjoy every day—but do you know where the world’s largest producer of the cocoa used to make it is?
The answer is Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa.
While cocoa from Ghana is better known in Japan, Côte d’Ivoire is in fact the world’s largest cocoa producer and plays a dominant role on the global stage. Yet only a small amount of Ivorian cocoa is currently imported into Japan.
Why is that?
The reason lies in the challenges of meeting Japan’s strict standards, including quality control, pesticide residue limits, and traceability systems that allow products to be tracked back to their origin.
Meanwhile, cocoa production in Ghana has been declining due to climate change and the impact of illegal gold mining. As a result, Japanese manufacturers are now seriously searching for the next major sourcing country.
In other words, the key to sustaining Japan’s chocolate culture for the future lies in cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire.
In 2026, JICA set out to thoroughly examine one key question:
What is needed to significantly increase cocoa exports to Japan?
To find the answer, JICA visited each part of the cocoa value chain—from farmers and cooperatives to government offices and inspection agencies—gaining first-hand insight into how cocoa is produced, managed, and distributed.
What we discovered was not just a list of challenges, but an even greater sense of potential.
These insights revealed a range of possibilities that point toward a more sustainable and delicious future.
Diverse landscapes in Côte d’Ivoire create a rich variety of cocoa flavors
In particular, efforts to make issues such as child labor and environmental impacts visible through technology are attracting growing attention in Japan.
In Côte d’Ivoire, JICA has been among the first to pilot child labor monitoring initiatives using blockchain* technology, working to build systems that lead to real improvement.
If cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire can be supplied steadily to Japan—
In this way, cocoa becomes a bridge that connects food, education, the environment, and the future—creating benefits for all.
This recent survey marks a starting point toward realizing that future.
Going forward, JICA plans to further strengthen cooperation between Côte d’Ivoire and Japan through initiatives such as:
Through these efforts, we hope to advance meaningful collaboration that connects local communities with Japan and helps build a sustainable cocoa value chain.
Poorly managed cocoa fields face higher risks of pests, diseases, and improper pesticide use.
A well-managed cocoa farm with fewer pest and disease outbreaks, producing higher-quality cocoa.
Some cooperatives offer farmers training in low-pesticide, safe cocoa cultivation.
Harvested cocoa pods. The beans inside are the raw material for chocolate.
Cocoa fermentation. Improvements in this process can lead to better flavor.
Cocoa fermentation assessment. Better fermentation and drying can lead to higher-quality cocoa.
An improper cocoa drying process with room for improvement.
A proper cocoa drying process using drying racks.
And this cooperation is not merely aid—it is also an investment in a richer future for people in Japan.
So that the chocolate you enjoy in your everyday life can remain safe and delicious.
And so that every single cocoa bean can bring hope and a brighter future to someone, somewhere.
Through cocoa, JICA is working to create a “delicious future” that connects Japan and Côte d’Ivoire.
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