Climatic Factors Affecting the Quality of Cocoa Beans During Fermentation, Drying, and Storage

1. Introduction

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is a climate-sensitive crop whose post-harvest processes—fermentation, drying, and storage—directly influence the final quality of the beans. These stages are highly dependent on environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall. As climate change increases weather variability, understanding how climatic factors impact these processes becomes critical for maintaining cocoa quality and farmer livelihoods.