International Buyers

The Financial Technical Cooperation Agreement between ABICAB and Apex-Brasil, called Brasil Sweets and Snacks, emerged in 1998, contribute to the development of the entire Brazilian chocolate, peanut and candy industry chain, promoting knowledge and generating international business opportunities.o conhecimento e gerando oportunidades de negócios internacionais.

ABICAB - Brazilian Association of the Chocolate, Peanut and Candy Industry

Was founded in 1957, represents nationally the main manufacturers in the Chocolate (92%), Peanut (68%), candy, and Gum (62%) industries. The industries represented produce more than 1 million tons in volume and export products to more than 170 countries, generating income and jobs in all Brazilian regions.

The Association’s mission is to propose actions to promote domestic and foreign markets, with responsible consumption and encouragement of the sustainable chain and food safety. It is an entity that seeks dialogue with society and the various levels of power.

ApexBrasil - Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency

Works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. In order to achieve its goals, ApexBrasil carries out several trade promotion initiatives aimed at promoting Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business rounds, support to the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business platforms that also aim at strengthening the Brazil brand.

Brazilian Suppliers

Discover the companies that are benefiting from the Brasil Sweets & Snacks Agreement.

Salon du Chocolat 2024 (Bean to Bar) | 30/10 – 03/11

10/2024

Paris/França

ISM Cologne 2025 (Confectionery) | 02 – 5/02

02/2025

Colônia/Alemanha

Projeto Comprador/Imagem Amendoim 25 | date to be defined

03/2025

São Paulo/Brasil

IPF 2025 (Peanuts) | 9 – 11/04

04/2025

Seville/Spain

Sweets & Snacks Expo 2025 (Confectionery) | 13 – 15/05

05/2025

Indianápolis/EUA

Brazilian Confectionery Industry

Brazilians are the world's largest sugarcane producers, leading sugar producers, and exporters.
Responsible for more than half of the sugar sold in the world, the country should achieve an average production increase rate of 10.9% in the 2022/23 harvest and harvest 611 million tons of the product, according to data from the National Sugar Company—supply (CONAB).
Brazil is also the fourth largest milk producer in the world. Among the best-known fruits of Brazilian origin, probably at the top of the list, is cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, and recognized as the best in the world.
Brazil exported 2023 to 174 countries, meeting the most varied market demands.
Our industry has essential ingredient and food safety certificates.
The Brazilian Industry is focused on ESG - Environmental, social and governance, and gender equity in the field and industry.

Brazilian cocoa and chocolate

We cannot talk about Brazilian Chocolate if we don’t talk about Brazilian Cocoa first.

Cocoa

Brazil maintains recognition as a cocoa exporting country with 100% quality.
Brazil is currently the 7th largest cocoa producer in the world, alongside Ivory Coast, Ghana, Ecuador, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Cameroon (Statista, 2022-2023).
Innovation focused on sustainability and new ways of planting and pruning - with the support of the Brazilian Government - this scenario has changed for the better.
Bahia, as a cocoa-producing hub, is in full recovery. Pará leads production, with increased planted areas, essentially reforestation areas, and increased productivity in recent years.
Currently, production has already increased (in the range of 270 thousand tons per year), and the expectation for the next ten years is to increase production to more than 400 thousand tons. This high production volume is estimated to be the beginning of a new “Golden Era” of cocoa in the country.
The processing is concentrated in four multinational companies: Barry Callebaut, Cargill, Ofi, and IBC. These four companies dominate almost 100% of the Brazilian cocoa processing market.

Brazilian Chocolate

The solid Italian and German immigration mainly brought knowledge about producing candies and chocolates to Brazil.
Not infrequently, production involves national cocoa, European technologies, and all Brazilian creativity, combining typical and exotic ingredients.
Brazil is one of the few self-sufficient countries with the main ingredients in the production of sweets: milk and sugar cane, the latter being one of the main crops in the Brazilian economy.
It is essential to highlight that Brazil is the only country in the world with the entire cocoa and chocolate chain in its territory, from cocoa cultivation, almond processing, chocolate production, distribution, retail, and a broad market consumer. According to Euromonitor data, the confectionery segment (candies and chocolates) showed increasing evolution in terms of Brazilian revenue from 2020 to 2023, reaching R$ 36.8 billion in 2023, in addition to presenting a significant forecast

Production, Apparent Consumption, export and import in volume (thousand tons)

Brazilian Candies and gum

The candy and gum sector represents USD 69.6 billion worldwide, while in Brazil, the value is USD 1.7 billion (R$ 8.4 billion), according to data from Euromonitor (2023). In Brazil, the total production of the category represented 2023, a total of 288 thousand tons in all forms. Apparent consumption had a volume of 200 thousand tons, 7.5% higher than in 2022. Import and export volumes were 10 thousand tons and 98 thousand tons, respectively.

Production, Apparent Consumption, export and import in volume (thousand tons)

Peanuts

Peanuts are one of the most essential legumes, similar to soybeans and beans. Brazil can produce and sell this legume in quantity, currently being the 12th largest producer globally. In 2022/23, the country had 892.8 thousand tons, showing an average growth of 22.5% between 2021/22 and 2022/23. This growth is expected to continue. Over the last four years, companies have invested around R$200 million in innovation, infrastructure, and logistics for expansion plans in the domestic and foreign markets. Today, the country is the 4th largest exporter of fresh peanuts. 88% of production is concentrated in the state of São Paulo, focused in two regions: Alta Mogiana (surrounding Ribeirão Preto and Jaboticabal) and Alta Paulista (area covered by Marília and Tupã) due to favorable terroir conditions. However, several companies are expanding their production to other states such as Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Goiás, Bahia, Sergipe, Tocantins and Rio Grande do Sul.

In 2001, ABICAB implemented the Pró-Amendoim program, a peanut quality seal in Brazil. The associated companies with the “Pro-Peanut-ABICAB Certified Quality” seal meet the legislation requirements about aflatoxin levels and manufacture completely safe (audited and monitored) peanut-based products. The program collaborates with reporting irregular products that are available to consumers through monitoring (DNV-GL) and analysis carried out by the LAMIC laboratory, accredited by the competent Regulatory Agency. Currently, twelve companies participate in Pró-Amendoim: AmenBra, Bokada, Coplana, Da Colônia, Dori, Enova Foods, Guimarães, Jazam, Kuky, Malta & Rezende, Santa Helena and Yoki. All of them offer safe, monitored products to the market that meet strict quality standards, which contributes to improving the positive perception of the sector in the country.