Domestication

There has been some research into the domestication of cocoa. Cocoa grows both in the wild and commercially were it natively found in Mesoamerica. This makes difficult to distinguish between wild and domesticated cultivars. The used of DNA profile has provided new insight into cocoa domestication. In an article by Motamayor et al, they proposed a new classification system for the cocoa in which would divided cocoa into ten groups based on germplasm. It is thought that cocoa was original domestication for it pulp. There has much interest in conserving the genetic diversity of cocoa, because cocoa trees is very vulnerable to pest/disease and climate. There are two factors causing the decline in cocoa diversity; loss of traditional cultivar production and loss of habitat is in native range in Mesoamerica. There are several organization such the Heirloom Cacao Preservation, are working on preserving cocoa diversity.

 

Genomic Physiology Genetic Diveristy Dominican Republic

 

Adding Valse to Cocoa Germplasm Information with Domestiation History and Admixture Mapping

 

Cacao Domestication Progenitor Germplasm of the the Trinitarion Cacao Cultivar

 

Genetic Diveristy and Parentage in Farmer Varieties of Cocoa in Honduras and Nicaragua

 

Distribution
The cocoa plant is native to South America, ranging from Mexica to the lower Amazon basin.

 

 

Grown Today

It is grown in subtropical regions around the world today. There are roughly 17,000,000 acres of cocoa production around the world. The top five producing countries are Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Brazil.