COCOA FROM SULAWESI.

Sulawesi is one of the 17,340 islands of Indonesia. From the air is looks somewhat like an octapus with four large tentacles. It is surrounded by beautiful waters full of marine life and coral reefs which make it a world class diving destination.

With land area of 174,600square kilometers is is the 11 largest island in the world with a populationof 16million. An island of much spectacle in views and culture is also home of Asian and Australasian species.Much of the flora and fauna do not exist out of Sulawesi.

Many of us will know Sulawesi by Starbucks Sulawesi Coffee. It is a seasonal coffee with a heavy body and just a little spicy. But Sulawesi is really famous for being of a world supplier of cocoa beans. Sulawesi beans are usually unfermented, bulk beans used as fillers with other fermented beans.

Sulawesi produces about 400,000 metric tons of cocoa beans and products( almost 80% of Indonesia production, including Java and Sumatraq.

Sulawesi cocoa beans are produced by small holder farmers on .5 to 1.5 hectacres of farms.Each farm produces between 400 to 800kg per hectacre.Sulawesi have some of the highest cocoa bean yields in the world and one of the largest areas in production. About two million people on Sulawesi are dependant on cocoa beans for their livlihood.

Farmers sell to collectors on motorbikes. Collectors sell to traders. Traders sell to local exporters. Small amounts go to local processors. 80% of the Sulawesi beans are sold by five multi-national affliate exporters in Sulawesi:EDF & Man, Olam, Cargill, ADM and Continaf. They in turn sort and grade and sell to buyers in US, Malaysia,Singapore and Brazil. There are also processors and manufacturers locally, one of the largest being Effem(Mars). Once out of Indonesia Indonesian cocoa beans become part of the global trade in cocoa.

Sulawesi cocoa beans are traded as "Sulawesi FAQ" in the New York Commodities Exchange.


Sulawesi farmers get about 80% of the export value of the beans as against 50%-60% in West Africa. There is no exploitation of children in the Indonesian cocoa trade.

The major problems which effect yield and quality is disease, (Cocoa Pod Borer) and the traditional methods used by small holder farmers. However with much support from government, World Cocoa Foundation, international and local institutions and processors and manufacturers farmers field schools are being set up. A pilot on Fermentationis being set up in Bali and disease control practices are being implemented.

Sulawesi is a most picteresque island. Created specially for two kinds of hiking, along the intricate coastline or inland into the central mountainous regions and the 2,290sq km national park. It was also created for the best experiences you can imagine in snorkling or deep diving.