Cacao". Etymology Online Dictionary, Douglas Harper. 2018. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018 . Retrieved 19 August 2018. Diagram to show how the downstream effects of cocoa polyphenols might affect the vascular system, with nitric oxide (NO) as the target. Endothelial dysfunction, lipoprotein oxidation, platelet aggregation, and inflammation all increase cardiovascular risk (+), whereas vascular effects of cocoa polyphenols reduce risk (−) from these intermediary factors. Reprinted with permission from Cooper et al. ( 41). eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

Cocoa beans may be cultivated under shade, as done in agroforestry. Agroforestry can reduce the pressure on existing protected forests for resources, such as firewood, and conserve biodiversity. [85] Integrating shade trees with cocoa plants reduces risk of soil erosion and evaporation, and protects young cocoa plants from extreme heat. [77] Agroforests act as buffers to formally protected forests and biodiversity island refuges in an open, human-dominated landscape. Research of their shade-grown coffee counterparts has shown that greater canopy cover in plots is significantly associated with greater mammal species diversity. [86] The amount of diversity in tree species is fairly comparable between shade-grown cocoa plots and primary forests. [87] Economic effects [ edit ] Cacao analysis dates the dawn of domesticated chocolate trees to 3,600 years ago", Eurekalert, October 24, 2018". Archived from the original on 24 October 2018 . Retrieved 24 October 2018. a b c d e f g Wood, G. A. R.; Lass, R. A. (2001). Cocoa. Tropical agriculture serie (4thed.). John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-632-06398-7. Trinitario is a natural hybrid of Criollo and Forastero. Trinitario originated in Trinidad after an introduction of Forastero to the local Criollo crop. Nearly all cocoa produced over the past five decades is of the Forastero or lower-grade Trinitario varieties. [26] Cultivation [ edit ]Boudjeko, Thaddée; Tchinda, Romaric Armel Mouafo; Zitouni, Mina; Nana, Joëlle Aimée Vera Tchatchou; Lerat, Sylvain; Beaulieu, Carole (4 March 2017). "Streptomyces cameroonensis sp. nov., a Geldanamycin Producer That Promotes Theobroma cacao Growth". Microbes and Environments. 32 (1): 24–31. doi: 10.1264/jsme2.ME16095. ISSN 1347-4405. PMC 5371071. PMID 28260703. Blakemore LC, Searle PL, Daly BK (1987) Methods for chemical analysis of soils, vol 80. New Zealand Soil Bureau, Lower Hutt, 103 p

Thong K, Ng W (1978) Growth and nutrients composition of monocrop cocoa plants on inland Malaysian soils. International conference on cocoa and coconuts, Kuala Lumpur, pp 262–286Coe, Sophie D. (1994). America's First Cuisines. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-71155-7. Silva Moço MK, Gama-Rodrigues EF, Gama-Rodrigues AC, Machado RCR, Baligar VC (2009) Soil and litter fauna of cacao agroforestry systems in Bahia, Brazil. Agrofor Syst 76:127–138 In West Africa, where about 70% of global cocoa supply originates from smallholder farmers, recent public–private initiatives such as the Cocoa Forest Initiatives in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire (World Cocoa Foundation, 2017) and the Green Cocoa Landscape Programme in Cameroon (IDH, 2019) aim to support the sustainable intensification and climate resilience of cocoa production, the prevention of further deforestation and the restoration of degraded forests. [91] They often align with national REDD+ policies and plans. [91] Consumption [ edit ]