💨 Abstract

After nearly two years of rising, cocoa prices dropped sharply in 2025, but chocolate prices increased due to festive season demand. The cocoa market is heavily influenced by weather and diseases in West Africa, where most cocoa is produced. Previous harvest failures and diseases like swollen shoot virus and black pot disease drove prices up. Higher prices allowed farmers to invest in better practices, improving harvests. Chocolate manufacturers faced challenges like shrinkflation and reduced cocoa content due to high costs.

Courtesy: AFP