The ECOM Group entered into the cocoa market in the mid 1980s. Building upon the up-country infrastructures developed by the coffee and cotton departments in Mexico and Brazil, we have expanded our operations in scope and geographically. We now operate in most of the major cocoa origin countries, including Ivory Coast which produces about 40% of the world production, and we maintain trading and service centers in Europe and North America. The business at origin operations has not changed considerably since cocoa was first discovered in Central America centuries ago. In the major cocoa regions of the world, cocoa is grown and harvested by "small holders", farmers who own a few hectares or less of land and generate income by selling raw cocoa to collectors.