How is cacao tree cultivated?

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is a tropical tree crop originating from the Amazon basin where it grows in the shaded rainforest understorey and ... read more

Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree and the cocoa tree, is a small (4–8 m (13–26 ft) tall) evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae, native to the deep tropical regions of the Americas. Its seeds, cocoa beans, are used to make cocoa mass, cocoa powder, confectionery, ganache and chocolate. read more

In Central America two related species (T. bicolor and T. angustifolium) are grown for their edible seeds, which are sometimes mixed with those of T. cacao to produce cocoa. Pests and diseases. The most commonly destructive diseases of the cacao tree are pod rots. read more

The explosion in demand brought about by chocolate's affordability required yet more cacao to be cultivated. Amelonado cacao from Brazil was planted in Principe in 1822, Sao Tomé in 1830 and Fernando Po in 1854, then in Nigeria in 1874 and Ghana in 1879. read more