Read the following article about the cacao tree, and then answer the questions on the opposite page.
Spotlight on Chocolate
In this month’s magazine, Anna Lee, our expert on agricultural matters, reports on a trip to Belize.
Like many people, I love chocolate, and on a recent visit to Central America, I found out more about where this delicious, sweet-tasting substance comes from.
Cacao Trees
I travelled deep into the beautiful rainforest in Belize. There, I was introduced to the cacao tree farmers whose crop is used for making chocolate. The farmers pointed to colourful pods the size of footballs growing straight out of the cacao tree trunk. They told me that one pod of white beans contains enough cacao to make two small bars of chocolate.
Making Chocolate
After the cacao beans have been harvested, the growers send them to a factory where they are roasted and turned into an oily paste called cocoa liquor. Some of this liquor goes straight into chocolate; the rest is pressed to make cocoa butter. If you have ever wondered why chocolate melts in your mouth, it is due to the addition of cocoa butter, which melts at body temperature. In order to make different kinds of chocolate, sugar and vanilla are also added in varying amounts.
Growing Cacao
In Belize, the farmers that I spoke to were proud to be growing cacao the traditional way. This age-old method has many advantages: the cacao trees are shaded by the tall forest canopy, which prevents the trees drying out when it gets hot. Furthermore, in this environment natural predators thrive, and they destroy the insects that would eat the cacao crop. The farmers also showed me the cacao leaf litter which covers the forest floor. Leaf litter is a thick layer of fallen leaves, which enriches the soil and helps plants grow. Without leaf litter, chemical fertilisers have to be used, which can get into streams and pollute the water supply.
The farmers that I met knew about protecting the rainforest. But in other areas, not all growers are as environmentally aware. Some growers cut down the rainforest and plant cacao trees on the cleared ground. Cacao trees grow well in sunshine, but this way of farming can cause problems for the ecosystem.
Organic Chocolate
If you buy chocolate, consider buying organic chocolate. The organic approach to growing cacao supports the rainforests as well as the farmers and their families.
Competition!
Enter our chocolate competition and if you win, you will receive a ticket to visit the Maya Gold chocolate factory. To enter the competition, just tell us where Maya Gold chocolate comes from. Put your answer on a postcard, and remember to give us your name, address and age.