Africa’s Hidden Wealth: Western Empires Built on African Food

Africa’s Hidden Wealth: How Western Brands Built Empires on African Food Products Worth Billions

Every morning, millions of people worldwide pour Nescafé coffee, add McCormick vanilla to their baking, and bite into Nestlé chocolate, most of the blissully unaware that they are consuming African excellence repackaged by Western corporations. This is the story of how Africa’s agricultural treasures became the foundation of billion-dollar brands while the continent that produces them remains economically marginalized.

The Chocolate Empire Built on African Cocoa

Cocoa was first consumed in Central America between 1500-1400 BC, with the cacao tree domesticated at least 5,300 years ago before being introduced to Mesoamerica. Chocolate was introduced to Europe by the Spaniards and became a popular beverage by the mid-17th century, with cacao later introduced into West Africa by Europeans.

In the Gold Coast (modern Ghana), cacao was introduced by a Ghanaian, Tetteh Quarshie, marking the beginning of Africa’s transformation into the world’s cocoa powerhouse.

The numbers of Africa’s cocoa dominance are staggering. As of 2024, Ivory Coast produces 45% of the world’s cocoa, with West Africa collectively supplying two-thirds of the world’s cocoa crop at 1.8 million tonnes from Ivory Coast alone and an additional 1.55 million tonnes from nearby Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Togo.

Côte d’Ivoire produced 2.24 million tons of cocoa beans in crop year 2022/2023, accounting for a third of the annual global supply, with this industry making up 20% of Côte d’Ivoire’s GDP.

The value chain robbery that takes place from this point is troubling. Multinational companies buy raw cocoa from Ivory Coast, process it in Europe or the United States through grinding and roasting, then sell it to major chocolate brands like Ferrero, Lindt, and Nestlé, with companies reluctant to give up their control over the market, which significantly hampers development of a local chocolate industry.

Raw bean exports add less value to the economy of producer countries, with the global cocoa sector worth more than $44 billion per year. Yet ninety percent of farmers do not earn a living income, two out of every five children in farming communities are engaged in hazardous forms of child labour, and cocoa is the fourth largest source of commodity-driven deforestation globally.

The profit distribution is obscene: Most West African cocoa farmers already make less than a dollar a day, with many female cocoa farmers making only around 30 cents a day because the price of cocoa has fallen so low.

Americans alone consume 26 million kilos of chocolate during Valentine’s Day week, requiring 130,000 trees to produce this one-week supply. Yet the farmers who tend those trees live in grinding poverty.

Who Controls the Chocolate Money? Large chocolate producers such as Cadbury, Hershey’s, and Nestlé buy Ivorian cocoa futures through Euronext, where world prices are set. Trading companies including Barry Callebaut (Franco-Belgian), Cargill (US), Touton (French), and Sucden (French) dominate the export market.

Women perform about 70% of the work on cacao farms yet receive only 20% of the income, with about 25% of landowners being women.

The Human Cost? With some two million children involved in cocoa farming in West Africa, child slavery and trafficking were major concerns in 2018, with the Cocoa Barometer report stating “Not a single company or government is anywhere near reaching the sectorwide objective of the elimination of child labour”.

Coffee: Ethiopia’s Gift to the World, Starbucks’ Profit

The coffee plant originates in the Ethiopian region of Kaffa, with legend telling of 9th-century goat herder Kaldi discovering the coffee plant after noticing its energizing effect on his flock. Coffee was first discovered over 500 years ago in Ethiopia and first exported to Yemen.

From Yemen, coffee spread into Istanbul, Cairo, and Damascus, with the first coffee houses in Europe opening in Venice in 1645 and the first US coffeehouse beginning in Boston in 1689.

Modern coffee wars began in the 1900s, when the Brazilian government asked Nestlé to figure out how to utilize the country’s coffee waste, resulting in freeze-dried coffee called Nescafé, now the world’s leading brand. Starbucks launched in 1971, opening its first store in Seattle, Washington, beginning its journey as a global chain.

But here’s the kicker: Some of the world’s finest coffees: Harrar, Sidamo, and Yirgacheffe, originate in Ethiopia, yet only 5 to 10 percent of the retail price actually goes back to Ethiopia, with most profit shared by distributors and middlemen. In wealthy countries, a cup of cappuccino may be sold at $4, but many coffee growers in Ethiopia and other developing countries earn less than a dollar a day.

Enter the Starbucks trademark controversy. In 2006, Oxfam accused Starbucks of asking the National Coffee Association to block a US trademark application from Ethiopia for three of the country’s coffee beans: Sidamo, Harar, and Yirgacheffe, with the issue being that Starbucks’ use of Ethiopia’s famed coffee brands generated high margins for Starbucks and cost consumers a premium, yet generated very low prices to Ethiopian farmers.

Facing more than 92,000 letters of concern, Starbucks had placed pamphlets in its stores accusing Oxfam of “misleading behavior”. Eventually, in 2007, Starbucks signed an agreement with Ethiopia, though financial terms were not disclosed.

But who owns Ethiopia’s coffee? Roughly one in four people in Ethiopia are reliant in some way on coffee for their livelihood, making coffee critically important to the economy. Yet key players in the Ethiopian coffee market include Cooper’s Cask Coffee Company, Starbucks Corporation, Nestle SA, Klatch Coffee, and Kalbe International, with these companies now focusing on social media platforms and online marketing.

Vanilla: Madagascar’s Monopoly, Western Brands’ Windfall

Vanilla is not native to Madagascar. It originated some 10,000 miles away in modern-day southeastern Mexico, where it was used by the Totonacs and Aztecs for ceremonial purposes and in chocolate drinks. In 1841, Edmond Albius, an enslaved 12-year-old boy living on French-colonized Reunion (then called Isle-de-Bourbon, namesake of Bourbon vanilla beans), found a way to hand-pollinate vanilla plants. This discovery transformed Madagascar into a vanilla powerhouse.

Madagascar’s vanilla dominance sees is a the largest producer of vanilla globally, accounting for over 80% of the world’s vanilla supply. Madagascar’s 2022 vanilla exports were valued at $583 million. In the 2019-2020 export campaign, Madagascar dispatched nearly 1,780 tons of vanilla in various forms, with the country producing vanilla in bean form, as extracts, powder, and other derivatives, though only 2% of vanilla production is allocated for domestic consumption.

Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world after saffron, with world prices fluctuating between $20-$500 per kilogram depending on weather and market conditions. Raw vanilla beans generally sell for about one-seventh or one-eighth of what cured ones do.

Upward of 70,000 small farmers in Madagascar make at least part of their living managing vanilla vines, with vanilla being one of the most labor-intensive crops in the world as orchid flowers must be hand-pollinated daily since flowers last only one day.

Because small farmers who labor to grow vanilla bear nearly all the risks of failed crops, decreasing demand, or bad weather, yet receive the smallest part of the profits collected by exporters and distributors, there is growing interest in fair-trade vanilla.

Who Controls Vanilla? The largest global importers of vanilla are the United States, France, and Germany, with the majority of well-known processing companies located in these countries: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Inc., McCormick & Company, Givaudan SA, and Firmenich SA, which are both importers of prepared vanilla and re-exporters of vanilla in processed forms.

Natural vanilla is used by industrial chocolate makers, ice cream manufacturers, and various agri-food industries such as Nestlé, General Mills, Unilever, Hershey’s, Kellogg’s, Campbell, Kraft, and Coca-Cola, with the food industry representing approximately 85% of global demand.

The global vanilla extract market is projected to grow from $4.94 billion in 2022 to $6.29 billion by 2029. Yet Madagascar’s farmers see only a fraction of this value. In 2016, McCormick & Co. anticipated a price spike and acted faster than anyone else, withdrawing ariary by the crateful from banks in Antananarivo to buy up vanilla before prices soared.

Cashew Nuts: Africa Produces, Asia Processes, West Profits

Africa produces more than 50% of raw cashew nuts in the world: over 1.8 million tons, with Côte d’Ivoire alone producing 800,000 tons (40% of Africa’s production), making it the world’s biggest producer and exporter.

The processing paradox as shown by the extractive pattern: sees about 90% of African cashew production exported raw, mainly to Vietnam and India. There, the nuts are shelled and processed, then re-exported to the United States, Europe, Middle East, China, and Australia at premium prices. Africa grows the nuts. Asia captures the value-added processing margins. Western brands pocket the retail profits. African farmers remain poor.

Tea: Kenya’s Leaves, Lipton’s Profits

Kenya produces 70% of Africa’s tea and is the world’s 3rd largest producer and leading exporter, accounting for 22% of global tea exports. Yet brands like Lipton (Unilever), Twinings, Tetley, and Yorkshire Tea reap the profits.

Africa produces 12-13% of the world’s tea but dominates global exports at nearly 40% because China and India consume their production domestically. African tea exists primarily as an export revenue crop, with minimal domestic value addition.

The Neo-Colonial Pattern: Same Playbook, Corporate Actors

The pattern is centuries old. From the 19th century onwards, European colonial powers established African colonies to serve as sources of raw materials such as cotton, coffee, and cocoa, often using force and disrupting local economies by redirecting labor away from food crops, contributing to numerous famines.

Today’s neo-colonialism perpetuates a system focused on exporting raw materials, sustained disruption of the economy, and continuous exploitation; conditions that are alarmingly worse now than during the colonial era.

Let’s take a look at the mathematics of extraction. Africa produces the world’s most valuable agricultural commodities but captures only 10-15% of final retail value.

The remaining 85-90% goes to: foreign traders (5-10%) who buy at farmgate prices; processing companies (20-30%) who add value through grinding, roasting, curing; western brands (30-40%) who package and market; and retailers (20-25%) who sell to consumers

Market Value Comparisons

Cocoa: Africa produces 74% of global raw materials valued at ~$10 billion, while the finished product market value of the chocolate industry is $100+ billion (chocolate industry), making Africa’s share of final values 5-10%.
Coffee: Ethiopiais the 3rd largest exporter of coffee beans, valued at $1-2/lb farmgate, ,sold at $4+ per cup retail.
Vanilla:  Madagascar produces 80% of global supply of vanilla valued at $50-200/kg raw. Global market is valued at $4.94-6.29 billion market.
Cashews: Africa produces 50%+ of global raw cashews, valued at low farmgate prices, which are sold at premium retail prices, making Africa’s share of market <10% (raw export only)
Tea: Kenya produces 22% of global exports sold are low farmgate prices and valued at premium prices in the branded tea market

The Brands Profiting from Africa’s Wealth

Global chocolate giants are led by Nestlé, the Swiss company that is the world’s largest food company,  followed by Mars (American) producers of M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way brands. We also have Hershey’s, America’s chocolate king; Ferrero, the Italian company that produces  Nutella, and luxury chocolate brand Ferrero Rocher. OTerh luxury chocolate brands are Lindt (Swiss) – Premium chocolate, and of course, Cadbury (British, now Mondelez) – Dairy Milk and other chocolate brands.

The coffee corporations are Starbucks (American), with 37,000+ locations globally; Nestlé/Nescafé (Swiss) – World’s leading coffee brand; Kraft Foods American producers of coffee brand Maxwell House, and JAB Holding owners of the brands Peet’s, Caribou, and Krispy Kreme.

Vanilla processors include McCormick & Company,  the  American spice giant; Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (American): Firmenich, Swiss producers of flavor and fragrance; Symrise, the German company that is the largest Madagascar vanilla buyer, and Givaudan (Swiss).

Key players in the African food value chain are trading conglomerates such as Barry Callebaut (Swiss) – world’s largest cocoa processor, Cargill (American) – Agribusiness giant, Olam (Singapore-based) – Agricultural trader, Louis Dreyfus (French) – Commodity traders, Touton (French) – Coffee and cocoa trader.

Multiple African products following the same pattern include Shea Butter, of which West Africa produces 90%, while L’Oréal, The Body Shop, Lush profit; Sesame Seeds – Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia export raw, Asia processes; Ginger – Exported raw to Asia and Europe for processing; Cloves – Madagascar and Tanzania produce, Asian companies process.

Others are Palm Oil – Processed and branded elsewhere, Rubber – Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire export raw, Cotton – West Africa exports raw; China and India manufacture, Peanuts (Groundnuts) – Exported raw, processed abroad, Moringa – “Superfood” branded by Western wellness companies, Baobab – “Superfruit” branded by Western health food companies, and more.

The Path Forward: What Needs to Change

Local Processing:

An Ivorian cocoa industry representative stated: “If 50% of our cocoa were processed locally, it could create thousands of jobs, increase farmers’ incomes, and reduce poverty”.

Fair Trade & Trademarks

Ethiopia’s fight to trademark its coffee varieties (Harrar, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe) represents one model for protecting origin and capturing more value.

Political Will

According to UNDP experts, with the right policies and investments, West Africa has the potential to transform its cocoa sector into a sustainable, climate-friendly, and economically self-sufficient industry, though this depends on political will and strategic investments.

Consumer Awareness

When you buy chocolate, coffee, or vanilla, you’re participating in a global system that has extracted wealth from Africa for centuries. Demanding fair trade, supporting African-owned brands, and questioning where value goes are first steps toward change. Every cup of Starbucks coffee, every bar of Nestlé chocolate, every bottle of McCormick vanilla represents Africa’s agricultural excellence harvested by African hands, grown on African soil, nurtured by African knowledge, yet the profits flow overwhelmingly to Western corporations and Asian processors.

Free trade does not exist here. It’s neo-colonialism with a corporate face: the same colonial playbook executed through supply chains rather than colonial administrations. Within the next five to ten years, chocolates labeled ‘Made in Ivory Coast’ could become reality, as Africa is growing too fast for transformation not to happen. The question is whether this transformation will come fast enough and whether the global system will allow Africa to finally capture the full value of the treasures it has given the world for centuries.

So, now that you know, when next you taste Africa’s gifts (cocoa, coffee, vanilla, cashews, etc) remember: you’re consuming excellence born of African soil, knowledge, and labor. The wealth should belong to those who create it.

Sources & Further Reading

– United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – “The Crumbling Empire of Chocolate”
– Trase Earth – Mapping Cocoa Exports from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
– World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) – Ethiopian Coffee Trademark Case
– Bloomberg – “The Volatile Economics of Natural Vanilla in Madagascar”
– Harvard International Review – “Bittersweet: Chocolate Production in West Africa”
– International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) Production Statistics
– Perfect Daily Grind – “Ethiopia to The World: The Origins of Coffee in Africa”

 

This article is part of FeelNubia’s ongoing series documenting how Africa’s contributions to global civilization have been systematically appropriated, repackaged, and profited from by Western entities—while the continent that created them remains economically marginalized.*

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