Cocoa origins & production
While cocoa has a history of human consumption dating back some 2,000 years, the full extent of its contributions to the global economy, and the environmental, social and health benefits to both farmers and consumers, are only now being fully realized.
Native to the upper Amazon basin, cacao trees, the source of cocoa beans, require constant warmth and rainfall to thrive - they grow best in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, South America and Central America, within 15 to 20 degrees of the equator. Many of the countries that are in the unique position to grow cocoa depend heavily on the crop's successful production to help sustain their economies.