The Analysis of Production and Trade Patterns in Cocoa Market Worldwide and in Poland

Cocoa belongs to the group of one of the most valuable commodities in the world. Most production of cocoa beans takes place in the African countries in the Equatorial “Cocoa Belt”. However, most processing of raw products is made in Western European countries. Poland is a substantial producer of confectionery chocolate products, therefore the country imports cocoa butter and cocoa paste, which gives it 8th and 6th place in the world in terms of quantity imported. This paper presents an analysis of the world’s major cocoa trading countries in four basic physical forms: cocoa beans, cocoa butter, cocoa paste and cocoa powder.