Origin first: Redefining cocoa & chocolate value

‘Two years ago, we had almost zero production. Without a dry season, the trees couldn’t flower,’ says Quincy Winklaar, Director of San Juan Estate in Trinidad and Tobago. ‘We’re adapting, but climate change is no longer an abstract problem – it’s hitting us directly.’

From hurricanes in the Caribbean to shifting rainfall patterns in the Pacific, cocoa producers at origin are grappling with more than just the price of beans. Yet, far from being passive suppliers in a volatile commodity market, they are increasingly turning to value addition, product diversification, and origin-led branding to reshape their role in the global chocolate industry.

At this year’s Chocoa trade fair in Amsterdam, this movement was on full display. The International Trade Centre (ITC) brought together cocoa producers, processors, and chocolate makers from the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific, as part of its UK Trade Partnerships (UKTP) and ACP Business-Friendly programmes.

Their presence highlighted the potential of inclusive trade and showcased the transformation already underway at origin.

Among the participants was Shadel Nyack Compton, owner of Belmont Estate in Grenada, whose tree-to-bar business blends fine-flavour organic cocoa with sustainable agritourism.

But behind the polished export brand lies a hard reality: ‘In the past 20 years, we’ve had three major hurricanes,’ she said. ‘Farmers are disillusioned. We’re developing zero-waste and low-impact products to stay resilient and diversify incomes.’

From the Pacific, Agnes Pilopaso of Pilopaso Cocoa Farm in the Solomon Islands is also navigating recovery. With UKTP programme support, she improved fermentation techniques and secured boutique buyers in the UK.

‘Selling to artisan buyers removes some of the risks of the bulk market,’ she said. Her farm now employs 50 people, up from just five

Cacao Fiji, led by Arif Khan, has also shifted from exporting raw beans to making craft chocolate. ‘Raw beans don’t offer long-term security,’ he said. ‘By investing in fermentation and chocolate making, we keep more value in Fiji.’ The brand’s success reflects a wider trend across Pacific producers working to secure stability and identity in a changing market.

Beyond the exhibition stands, ITC’s engagement at Chocoa 2025 included workshops on EU deforestation regulation compliance, trade matchmaking, and market-readiness training through the European Market Academy and Chocolate Makers Forum. The ACP-hosted Caribbean Pavilion attracted strong interest, helping put smaller producers on the map.

These entrepreneurs, grounded in tradition but forward-looking in strategy, are redefining the future of cocoa and chocolate.

In a sector where origin has long meant anonymity, their stories challenge that legacy – and prove that the next chapter of the chocolate industry may well be written where the cocoa grows.