• Africa exported 22,467 tons organic cocoa in 2024
• EU organic rules cut exports and compliant farmland
• Africa remained top exporter with 53.3% global share

African countries exported 22,467 tons of organic cocoa in 2024, according to the latest edition of The World of Organic Agriculture, an annual report published by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). That marks a 22.65% decline from the 29,047 tons exported in 2023.

FiBL attributes the decline to the European Union’s new organic regulation, which from 2024 requires imports from third countries to meet the same standards as EU producers. The framework gradually phases out the previous equivalence system, under which some countries could export to the bloc under rules deemed comparable.

Organic cocoa farmland in Africa that complies with the new EU standards totaled 238,258 hectares in 2024, down 22.93% from 309,164 hectares a year earlier. Sierra Leone led African organic cocoa exports, shipping 9,177 tons to the EU. It ranked as the world’s second-largest exporter of organic cocoa after the Dominican Republic, which exported 9,980 tons. Sierra Leone also accounts for 46% of the continent’s organic cocoa area. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda ranked second and third in Africa, exporting 4,609 tons and 4,580 tons respectively, roughly half Sierra Leone’s volume. Other key exporters included Sao Tome and Principe and Madagascar, each shipping more than 1,000 tons. In total, 10 of Africa’s 11 organic cocoa-producing countries exported in 2024, with Cameroon the only exception.

Despite the decline, Africa remained the leading export region for organic cocoa. Global exports totaled 42,080 tons in 2024, with Africa accounting for 53.3% of shipments. Latin America ranked second with 19,560 tons, while the remainder came from Asia.

Stéphanas Assocle