Cocoa Production in the Caribbean

This project provides an overview of the cocoa industry from a global perspective, using the Caribbean countries of Trinidad and Tobago and Belize as case studies. It contains historical information and presents economic data on the cocoa exports of the two countries. Cocoa is a highly globalized product, and the conditions of its cultivation and processing have significant implications for those involved in the industry, as well as the overall economies of producer countries. Chocolate has historical links to European colonialism, which has perpetuated exploitative value chains to this day. Local chocolate making may create opportunities for small countries and allow them to gain more robust economic independence.

Trinidad and Tobago were originally inhabited by the Carib and Arawak peoples. In 1498, Spanish colonists arrived on the islands. Contact between the indigenous and Europeans had monumental and devastating effects. Colonists took control of the islands and used it to their advantage, using forced labour to create profitable agricultural output. ⁶  Cacao was a significant crop and Trinidad became one of the top global producers.

Cacao trees were first planted in Trinidad and Tobago by Spanish colonists who wanted to sell cocoa to European markets. The isolation of the plant on the islands led to the rapid development of a new varietal of cocoa called "Trinitario". This is still considered a high quality cocoa compared to other more common varietals.

Cocoa production during the 18th and early 19th century relied heavily of forced labour from enslaved Africans. Tens of thousands of captured Africans were brought to the islands. The majority of them worked on cocoa and sugar plantations.

Slavery was abolished in the mid-19th century, and most of the newly freed left agricultural work for cities. This led to the arrival of indentured servants from India who were sought out to replace them. Cocoa production continued to rise until its peak in the 1920s. This was driven by innovations in cocoa processing that led the the creation of solid chocolate. Demand for chocolate became massive, and the availability of labour in Trinidad and Tobago meant production could expand to match it. ⁴ 

In the 1920s, when cocoa production had peaked, world cocoa prices dropped due to over-supply. This led local production to decrease, and West Africa became more dominant in the industry. An outbreak of the disease Witches Broom on cacao trees in 1928 solidified the industry's decline. On top of this, Oil had recently been discovered in Trinidad, and its production became an economic priority.

Trinidad and Tobago declared independence from the United Kingdom in 1962, and Prime Minister Eric Wiliams moved the country further towards oil production to facilitate economic growth. The country went from being a net exporter of food to a net importer in the 1960s. Oil provided prosperity but concerns have been raised about the lack of diversification of the economy. Traditional skills like agriculture have been lost over generations. ⁶ 

There is a movement to revitalize the cocoa industry in Trinidad and Tobago. There are currently over 800 cocoa farmers, 65 percent of which have less than 5 acres of land. ⁷  Several cocoa estates in the country have partnerships with artisan chocolate makers. Most of the estates in the map below sell their cocoa directly to artisan Trinidadian chocolate makers. The Tobago Cocoa Estate, while producing their own chocolate products, also has a partnership with the gourmet French chocolate maker Maison Pralus. ⁸  This is one of the few European chocolate makers that are transparent about where they source their cocoa.

Part of the potential of Trinidadian cocoa is based on the unique varietal that is known for its high quality and superior flavour. This can be used to carve out a space in the market and allow farmers to charge more for their products which would cover the cost of production. ⁴  

Trinidad and Tobago is one of the five countries selected as part of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) project from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Global Action. This project promotes sustainability and small-scale farming in each country's distinctive food and agricultural products. The FAO believes that the Trinidadian cocoa industry has strong potential for growth. ⁷ 

Some refer to Belize as the "cradle of chocolate" because of its importance to the Mayans who were present in the area that is now Belize and the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Cocoa production, while historically significant to the region, has not been a significant sector of the economy since the arrival of European colonists. ⁹ 

Belize currently has a small chocolate-making industry that uses locally produced beans. A vast majority of the cocoa it produces, however, is exported to craft chocolate makers in the USA and Europe. The widely available organic chocolate company Green & Blacks, owned by Cadbury, sources a portion of their cocoa from Belize. Belizean cocoa beans are celebrated and sought after for their distinct quality, echoing the quality found in Trinidad and Tobago. ¹⁰ 

Belize arguably has great potential to increase cocoa production as the larger citrus industry is suffering due to disease. The people of the country have a large wealth of farming knowledge and experience in both small-scale agroforestry models and large-scale plantations. In 2018, a group of Belizean cocoa interests formed the Cacao Agroforestry Institute of Belize. This group aims to ensure that production will be done sustainably as the industry grows. ¹¹ 

Trinidad and Tobago and Belize provide interesting case studies in the production of cocoa in the Caribbean because of their stark difference in export levels per product and value creation.

As shown in the graph below, Trinidad and Tobago historically had much higher levels of cocoa production than Belize, but their output levels are now closer than ever before due to a dramatic decrease in production in the former country. Trinidad and Tobago's production levels do not show significant changes in the last 10 years since they reached their lowest point. Belize, while still producing a relatively small amount of cocoa, appears to be gradually increasing its output.

Export data from the two countries suggest that they have different approaches to bringing their cocoa to market. Trinidad and Tobago's cocoa exports are made up of primarily chocolate and other cocoa-containing food products. In contrast, the vast majority of the cocoa product that Belize sells is raw or roasted cocoa beans. The implications of this difference have to do with where economic value is being created. Chocolate is sold at much higher prices than the cocoa beans it contains. Belize may want to promote local chocolate making to get more economic benefit out of the cocoa it grows.

Decolonial efforts in chocolate production often center where value is made in the supply chain. For example, "Swiss" or "Belgian" chocolate is considered high quality but does not speak to the origin and quality of the actual beans used. This is the focus of the school of thought called "global value chain (GVC) analysis", which centers the division of labour established by European colonialism. Rich countries are found to perform the aspects of production that require more initial investment but create high earnings, while poor countries engage in "low-skill work" that is low paying. GVCs often contain economic and legal mechanisms that allow the richer countries to claim almost all the value created. ⁴  In the case of chocolate, promoting more value creation closer to the site of harvesting, such as by bean-to-bar companies, allows that value to be more equally distributed throughout the supply chain. This approach provides an alternative to the exploitative and colonial aspects of cocoa production today.

The future of the cocoa industries in both Trinidad and Tobago and Belize seem promising based on recent developments in the industry. While the history of cocoa in the respective countries is quite different, they share characteristics that will help them succeed given the right investments. These case studies may go on to provide a useful blueprint for other countries to move past the colonial legacies in chocolate production.