See Inside
Researchers are racing to fortify the embattled cacao tree and to meet increasing demand for cocoa made from its seeds
?| February 13, 2012?|
Image: Photograph by Adam Voorhes
In Brief
- Consumer demand for chocolate?which is derived from cocoa powder made from the seeds of the cacao tree?is on the rise.
- But the cacao tree is under threat from pests, fungal infections, climate change, and farmers? lack of access to fertilizers and other products that enhance yields.
- Researchers are working to bolster the fragile tree through selective breeding, farmer education, and novel planting, irrigation and pest-management techniques.
To the ancient Mayans, it was the food of the gods. Nineteenth-century Cubans used it as an aphrodisiac. In the 20th century American culinary authority Fannie Farmer recommended its ?stimulating effect? for ?cases of enfeebled digestion.? Throughout history people have prized cocoa?the defining ingredient of chocolate?a tradition that endures in our modern era. This Valentine?s Day alone Americans will drop a projected $700 million on chocolate. Around the world people spend more than $90 billion a year on the treat. And with appetite on the rise thanks to expanding population size and growing numbers of people in the developing world who can afford chocolate, demand may outstrip supply in the near future.
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