LocationsBehind every cocoa bean is a story of people, nature and hope for the future
More than chocolate
July 1, 2026
Chocolate is enjoyed around the world.
But long before it reaches store shelves, its story begins elsewhere.
It begins in villages, forests and family farms where millions of people grow cocoa to support their families and communities.
For many of them, cocoa is more than a crop. It is a source of income, a connection to the land and a legacy passed from one generation to the next.
Today, cocoa-growing communities face growing challenges. Climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss and market uncertainty are putting increasing pressure on both livelihoods and landscapes.
Yet across continents, people are finding new ways forward.
Their stories reveal how cocoa is helping communities restore ecosystems, strengthen livelihoods and build resilience for the future.
Every cocoa bean carries a story of people, nature and resilience.
Photo: UNDP Indonesia
Indonesia: Reviving the Cocoa Village
Sunarti’s hands know the soil of Kaladi Darussalam like an old friend.
Born and raised in the village in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, she remembers a time when cocoa shaped everyday life. Families depended on it for their livelihoods, children learned the trade from their parents and the scent of drying cocoa beans filled the air.
“Cacao was our life,” she recalls. “It wasn’t just a crop. It was our pride, our culture.”
For decades, Kaladi Darussalam was known as Kampung Kakao, the Cocoa Village.
But falling cocoa prices and devastating pest outbreaks pushed many farmers to abandon their plantations. As production declined, the village lost not only income but also part of its identity.
Sunarti is helping revive sustainable cocoa farming in Kaladi Darussalam, Indonesia.
Photo: UNDP Indonesia
Today, a new chapter is beginning.
With support from the Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration project, implemented by Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry of Food Affairs, UNDP and FAO, with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), farmers are levelling up cocoa cultivation through sustainable practices and improved environmental management.
Women are playing a central role in the revival through local women’s farming groups. For Sunarti, restoring cocoa is about more than improving harvests. “I am happy if we truly succeed,” she says. “We will relive the glory of Kaladi Darussalam as Kampung Kakao.”
Photo: UNDP Indonesia
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire: Growing cocoa, protecting forests
Thousands of kilometres away in West Africa, cocoa tells a different story.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are among the world’s leading cocoa producers. For generations, cocoa has supported millions of livelihoods and contributed significantly to national economies.
Yet decades of agricultural expansion have contributed to forest loss, biodiversity decline and land degradation. Today, producers, governments and partners are working to change that.
In Ghana, UNDP’s Green Commodities Programme has partnered with Mondelēz International through the Cocoa Life initiative to promote sustainable cocoa production. Farmers are reintroducing shade-grown cocoa systems, restoring tree cover and adopting practices that protect both productivity and biodiversity.
In neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire, the SCOLUR project, funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by FAO, UNDP and UNIDO, is helping communities transition towards deforestation-free cocoa production through agroforestry, biodiversity conservation and landscape restoration.
Together, these efforts demonstrate that cocoa production and forest protection can go hand in hand.
Photo: UNDP Ghana
Photo: UNDP Cote d'ivoire
Democratic Republic of the Congo: New opportunities in Haut-Uele
For Leonard Asebea, cocoa represents opportunity.
As president of the Association of Cocoa Producers of Wamba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Haut-Uele Province, he has seen growing interest in strengthening the local cocoa sector.
In 2025, Leonard travelled to Uganda alongside fellow producer Dieudonné Apabune to participate in advanced training on cocoa production, fermentation and drying techniques.
Supported through the REDD Haut-Uele integrated forestry and community development programme supported by UNDP and the Korea International Cooperation Agency, the initiative aimed to strengthen the cocoa value chain while promoting sustainable forest management.
“This training allowed us to sharpen our skills and strengthen our expertise,” Leonard says. “We hope to strengthen the cocoa sector in our province and significantly improve yields.”
Today, the knowledge gained during the training is being shared with other producers across Haut-Uele, helping build local capacity and create new opportunities for farming communities.
Cocoa producers in Haut-Uele are strengthening their skills to build a more sustainable cocoa sector.
Photo: UNDP Democratic Republic of the Congo/Imani Kizungu
Dominican Republic: A crop that changed lives
For Ramón Beltrán, cocoa has shaped an entire lifetime.Standing among the trees on his farm in Yamasá, Dominican Republic, he reflects on the role cocoa has played for his family.
“Cocoa is a source of income for my family,” he says. “It is through cocoa that I educated my children, built my home and built my life.”
Beltrán is one of more than 1,800 producers supported through Cocoa Life, a programme implemented by UNDP in partnership with Mondelēz International and two Dominican cocoa producers' associations.
The initiative helps farmers strengthen their skills through training, Farmer Field Schools and sustainable agricultural practices. Through technical workshops on Good Agricultural Practices, farmers learn improved cultivation methods, including the use of grafted cocoa plants, helping them better manage their cocoa farms and make cocoa trees easier to harvest.
For Beltrán, the changes are visible.
“Before the project, the cocoa trees were very tall, difficult to manage and costly,” he explains. “Now we can harvest from the ground.”
The programme also supports entrepreneurship and livelihood diversification, helping communities create additional sources of income and strengthen economic resilience.
Cocoa cultivation in the Dominican Republic.
Photo: UNDP Dominican Republic
For Beltrán, the changes are visible.
“Before the project, the cocoa trees were very tall, difficult to manage and costly,” he explains. “Now we can harvest from the ground.”
The programme also supports entrepreneurship and livelihood diversification, helping communities create additional sources of income and strengthen economic resilience.
Improved cocoa production through sustainable farming practices in the Dominican Republic.
Photo: UNDP Dominican Republic
Papua New Guinea: Restoring livelihoods and landscapes
In Panafau Village, Papua New Guinea (PNG), cocoa is helping communities invest in the future.
The Beatific Foundation is working to revive the cocoa sector through a community nursery supported by UNDP through the PNG Biodiversity and Climate Fund, with funding from the Government of New Zealand and the Global Environment Facility.
The nursery serves as both a production site and a learning centre.
Women and young people train in cocoa cultivation, agroforestry practices and biodiversity conservation. Communities also learn how to better understand and respond to the impacts of climate change.
By combining sustainable agriculture with environmental stewardship, the initiative is helping restore the lush landscapes of New Ireland Province while strengthening people’s livelihoods and the local economy.
Photo: UNDP Papua New Guinea
Photo: UNDP Papua New Guinea
Peru: Building resilience from the ground up
Across Peru’s Amazon region, cocoa is becoming part of a broader effort to strengthen resilience.
In 2025, the Government of Peru launched a new financing mechanism offering zero-interest loans to small-scale coffee and cocoa producers who adopt sustainable agroforestry systems.
Supported through the Sustainable Productive Landscapes in the Peruvian Amazon project, implemented by the Ministry of Environment with technical assistance from UNDP and financing from the Global Environment Facility, the initiative encourages farmers to integrate cocoa cultivation with forest conservation.
These systems help improve soil health, restore biodiversity, capture carbon and strengthen resilience to climate change.
At the same time, they help farmers increase productivity and secure their livelihoods for the future.
Agroforestry systems are helping cocoa farmers protect forests while building resilience in the Peruvian Amazon.
Photo: UNDP Peru
More than a crop
At first glance, these stories may seem very different.
A village reclaiming its identity in Indonesia.
Farmers protecting forests in West Africa.
Producers building new opportunities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Families strengthening their livelihoods in the Dominican Republic.
Communities restoring landscapes in Papua New Guinea.
And farmers investing in resilience in Peru.
Yet they share a common thread.
Each story begins with people.
People adapting to change.
People protecting the natural resources around them.
People creating opportunities for future generations.
Chocolate may be enjoyed around the world, but its story begins long before the first bite.
It begins in villages, forests and family farms.
And behind every cocoa bean lies a story of resilience, opportunity and hope.