Where are cocoa trees found?

Where are cocoa trees found?

Africa is the leading cacao producing continent generating 70% of the world’s cacao. Cacao trees are also grown on the continents of North America, South America, and Asia. Major cacao- growing countries include Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, and Indonesia.

Can you grow cacao in the US?

Cocoa beans do indeed grow in the USA, but only in very limited areas. Much like their parent trees, cocoa beans need constant warm temperatures in order to thrive – usually between 65 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit – along with high humidity and ample rainfall (40-100 inches annually).

Where does the cacao tree come from?

Chocolate is made from cacao, which comes from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. (The Greek word Theobroma literally translates to “food of the gods.”) This species of tree thrives in tropical rainforests in Central and South America.

What part of the plant is cocoa made from?

Once the flowers have been pollinated they produce large pods containing cacao (or ‘cocoa’) beans. When crushed the beans yield cocoa mass, the basis of chocolate.

How many years does it take cocoa to produce?

After cocoa seeds are planted, it usually takes between three and five years to yield the first crop. Cocoa Hybrid varieties however can yield crops within two and three years.

What is the difference between cacao and cocoa?

Cocoa powder and cacao powder are very similar, the only difference being that cocoa is processed at a much higher temperature (and often packaged cocoa contains added sugar and dairy). So, cacao powder is made from fermented beans that have not been roasted.

Is it legal to grow cacao?

How to Grow Cocoa Beans. Cacao trees are quite finicky. Growing cacao trees requires mimicking these conditions. In the United States, that means the tree can only be grown in USDA zones 11-13 – Hawaii, parts of southern Florida and southern California as well as tropical Puerto Rico.

How long does it take for a cacao tree to produce fruit?

three to five years
Growing a cacao tree — the plant whose pods are made into chocolate — takes patience. It takes three to five years for a cacao seed to become a fruiting tree. Each tree makes a limited number of seeds.

Which country is the largest producer of cocoa?

The Ivory Coast
The Ivory Coast and Ghana are by far the two largest producers of cocoa, accounting for more than 50 percent of the world´s cocoa. In 2016, the Ivory Coast alone produced approximately 1.6 million metric tons of cocoa beans.

Why are cocoa farmers paid so little?

As a result of low yields due to poor farming practices, aging trees and limited access to inputs such as fertilizer and planting materials. The average cocoa farmer’s income is significantly below the World Bank’s extreme poverty line of USD 1. 90/day.

Why cacao is bad for you?

Theobromine-enriched cocoa also impacts blood pressure. Eating raw cacao in excess could be dangerous. For instance, theobromine poisoning has reportedly caused heart failure, seizures, kidney damage and dehydration. Eating 50 to 100 g of cacao daily is associated with sweating, trembling, and headaches.

Where are coca plants found in the world?

Because there are so many local varieties of the coca plant, mistakes in identification are common (Plowman et al. 1978). The coca bush is originally from the mountains of Peru and Bolivia, and is found between altitudes of 500 and 2000 meters.

Where did the beans of the cocoa tree come from?

The cacao was known as kakaw in Tzeltal, Kʼicheʼ and Classic Maya; kagaw in Sayula Popoluca; and cacahuatl in Nahuatl as “bean of the cocoa-tree”. T. cacao is widely distributed from southeastern Mexico to the Amazon basin.

Where does most of the world’s cocoa come from?

Chocolate giants Hershey and Ferrero recently invested heavily in facilities for cocoa production in Mexico, but despite deep investments, Mexican cocoa production has actually fallen about 50 percent since the early 2000s. In fact, Mexico has to import more cocoa than it exports.

Where does the coca leaf in Coca Cola come from?

In the United States, a Stepan Company plant in Maywood, New Jersey is a registered importer of coca leaf. The company manufactures pure cocaine for medical use and also produces a cocaine-free extract of the coca leaf, which is used as a flavoring ingredient in Coca-Cola.