Cocoa programme

Theobroma cacao

West African origin cocoa for grinders, processors, and chocolate manufacturers.

Main-crop and mid-crop cocoa beans sourced from disciplined supply networks in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon.

Request a cocoa quoteHow we contract

Programme overview

Cocoa is our deepest sourcing programme. We work with licensed buying companies, cooperatives, and regional suppliers in the four dominant West African origin countries to secure main-crop and mid-crop volumes for grinders, processors, and chocolate manufacturers.

Lots are qualified on bean count, moisture, defect rates, and documented farm-gate traceability. Export is coordinated through established forwarders in Abidjan, Tema, and Apapa with documentation prepared for EU, North American, and Middle Eastern buyer terms.

Operating notes

  • We only work with licensed exporters and cooperatives with documented farm-gate traceability.
  • Every lot is reviewed against ICCO quality parameters before we commit to buyer terms.
  • EUDR geolocation files are prepared in parallel with commercial docs for EU-bound volumes.

Origins

Where the cocoa comes from.

Each origin is an active sourcing lane with named suppliers, grading discipline, and documented export readiness.

Côte d’Ivoire

San Pedro & Abidjan sourcing zones

Primary volume origin. Main crop Oct–Mar, mid crop Apr–Sep.

Ghana

Western, Ashanti, and Eastern regions

Licensed buying companies with recognised grading discipline.

Nigeria

Ondo, Cross River, and Osun states

Recovering export quality; careful lot qualification required.

Cameroon

Southwest and Centre regions

Strong flavour profile; complementary to Ivorian main crop.

Harvest window

  • Main crop: October to March
  • Mid crop: April to September

Price drivers

  • ICE London futures (LCC) and ICE US (CC) differentials
  • Main / mid crop supply balance
  • Origin country export taxes and LID schedules
  • Currency volatility in XOF, GHS, and NGN

Grading & quality

  • Grade 1 (max 3% mouldy, 3% slaty)
  • Grade 2
  • Fair Average Quality

Packing & load

  • Jute bag — 60 kg / 65 kgICCO-compliant food-grade liners
  • Bulk (liner-loaded) — 23 – 25 MT / FCLFor integrated grinders

Destination markets

Antwerp · Amsterdam · Hamburg · Baltimore · New York · Jebel Ali · Singapore

Primary buyers

  • Grinders and processors
  • Chocolate and confectionery manufacturers
  • Cocoa butter and liquor refiners
  • Speciality origin programmes

Documentation & compliance

The paperwork a buyer can pick up and trust.

Documents issued

  • · Certificate of Origin
  • · Phytosanitary Certificate
  • · Quality & Weight Certificate (SGS / Cotecna / Bureau Veritas)
  • · Bill of Lading
  • · Fumigation Certificate
  • · Commercial Invoice and Packing List
  • · EUDR due-diligence statement (EU buyers)

Certifications supported

  • · Fairtrade
  • · Rainforest Alliance / UTZ
  • · Organic (EU / NOP)
  • · EUDR-aligned traceability

Quality checks

  • · Pre-shipment cut-test on 300-bean sample
  • · Moisture and count verification at warehouse
  • · Independent surveyor supervision at load port

Next step

Share a spec. We come back with origin, price, and paperwork.

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