Since 1991 international demand for chocolate has been growing, causing cocoa prices to surge. Although the global market for chocolate may have peaked at around US$114 billion annually, it is clear that the Caribbean could do more to encourage the production of the growing premium price global market for its varieties of fine and flavour cocoa.
An excellent recent Caribbean Export (CEDA) paper on the subject demonstrates that here is an example of a sector in which the region has a competitive advantage. Whether it is selling top quality cocoa as an agricultural commodity, or as locally or externally produced high value branded artisanal chocolate, the resuscitation of the industry could offer a new opportunity to farmers, export agriculture and to governments as a new source of foreign exchange.
The problem is that to achieve this, agriculture and particularly cocoa farming needs to be
