Chocolate Consumption Distribution Worldwide
Not all countries are able to enjoy the sweet taste of chocolate equally. There is a profound dichotomy between those nations that extract the raw materials and those who indulge in the finished product. As it is shown in the maps available, all but one of the top twenty countries that consume chocolate are considered 'well-developed' or 'advanced'. Brazil is the only country involved on the list that actually considers chocolate to be a natural resource.
The reality exists that the processing and consumption of chocolate products is Western World dominated. 70% of the worldwide profit from chocolate sales is concentrated in these countries. 80% of the world chocolate market is accounted for by just six transnational companies, including Nestle, Mars and Cadbury. Europeans alone consume around 40% of the world's cocoa per year, 85% of which is imported from West Africa. There have recently been efforts to initiate a fair-trade movement, which would encourage the purchase of cocoa from developing country producers at a fair price. However, tariff escalation continues to me a major problem, which acts to drive chocolate comsumers and cocoa exporters further apart.