Surprising facts about the chocolate industry

For those of you who still don't know, behind one of our favorite foods in the world is an industry of $ 103 billion (!) despite its popularity, we assume that there are still some facts that you may be surprised to hear about it – some are sweet, and some may leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. 

1. It takes about 400 cocoa beans to make one kilo of chocolate - on average, each cacao tree produces enough fruit each year to make up to 3 kilos of chocolate. Cocoa trees yield an average of 20 to 30 pods per year, and each pod contains 20 to 40 cocoa beans. This means that each cacao tree produces anywhere between 400 and 1,200 cocoa beans each year. Since it takes about 400 cocoa beans to make 1 kilo of chocolate, it is equivalent to 3 kilos of chocolate. You can definitely add this interesting figure as "Did you know" in a personal greeting that you will attach to a gift chocolate delivery that you sent to your loved one 
2. Switzerland is the world's largest consumer of chocolate – it consumes 8.8 kilos of chocolate per person! And although Americans consume an impressive amount of chocolate (especially on holidays like Halloween, Easter and Valentine's Day), the world's leading consumers of the favorite candy are in Europe, with Switzerland at the top of the list, followed by Germany with about 8 kilos of chocolate per capita, Ireland with about 7.8 kilos, the UK with 7.5 kilos and Sweden with 6.6 kilos of chocolate per capita.
3. According to estimates, global cocoa production reached a peak in 2019 of 4.85 million tons of cocoa, the record being attributed in part to favorable weather conditions. Moreover, Côte d'Ivoire continues to be the world's largest producer of cocoa, with an estimated 2.12 million tons. The increased production is not necessarily good news for the chocolate industry since it is likely that it will not be met with increased demand for the product and therefore the low prices in the world will be maintained.
4. Despite a thriving $100 billion industry that continues to grow annually, most cocoa farmers earn less than a dollar a day, often working in harsh heat without shade and exposed to high levels of pesticides. Farmers bear the physical burden of harvesting cocoa and the uncertainty of growing cocoa, but receive only about 6% of the selling price of each bar of chocolate, while producers and retailers maintain a profit of 80%.