Cocoa production

Cocoa production is the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of cacao beans into cocoa ingredients used in chocolate and other products.

Cacao cultivation: The growing of cacao trees for their seeds, which are processed into cocoa. Farmers manage shade, soil, pests, and tree health before pods can be harvested.
Cocoa liquor: A paste of finely ground cacao nibs containing both cocoa solids and cocoa butter. It is the central intermediate made by grinding roasted beans.
Cocoa farming and deforestation: The conversion or degradation of forest associated with establishing or expanding cocoa farms. Farm expansion has contributed to forest loss in major producing regions.
Cacao domestication: The selection and cultivation of cacao by human societies from wild populations in tropical America. Domestication established the crop on which later cocoa production depends.
Cocoa swollen shoot virus: A viral disease of cacao that causes swollen stems, leaf symptoms, and declining yields. It threatens production in West Africa and has no simple curative treatment.
Cacao pollination: The transfer of pollen between cacao flowers, usually by tiny midges, enabling fruit development. Pollination determines whether flowers become the pods that contain cacao beans.
Cocoa butter: The edible fat extracted from cacao beans or cocoa liquor. Its separation and recombination determine texture and flow in chocolate products.
Child labour in cocoa production: The use of work by children in cocoa-growing communities, including hazardous tasks prohibited by international standards. Labor conditions on farms are a persistent concern in cocoa supply chains.
Mesoamerican cacao: The cultivation and cultural use of cacao by societies in ancient Mesoamerica. Cacao was cultivated and processed in its American homeland long before global trade.
Cocoa black pod disease: A cacao pod disease caused by Phytophthora species that can destroy developing fruit. Disease control remains central to reducing crop losses in humid growing regions.

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