The cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) plant has been under cultivation since prehistoric times. Its centre of origin has been placed in the tropical forests of Amazon Valley in South America. Cocoa belongs to the family Sterculiaceae. It is a small evergreen tree. Cocoa is raised from seed and also by vegetative means.

Our member growers grow cocoa in Idukki, Kottayam, Palakkad, Kannur, and Kasargod districts of Kerala where the climate is appropriate for growing cocoa. The cocoa trees are grown in the lower storey of the coconut and arecanut plantations as mixed crop. The crop gets plentiful annual rainfall of nearly 3000 mm. Cocoa plants respond well to relatively high temperatures and the temperature in the growing areas varies from maximum 40 degrees C to minimum 18 degrees C. A hot and humid atmosphere is essential for the optimum development of cocoa trees. The relative humidity in the region is generally high, often as much as 80%.

The ripe pods are plucked with a knife. The pods are kept overnight and opened the next day. The beans, after separation from the pods are fermented for removing the pulp covering the beans and to increase the flavour of the beans. The fermented beans are dried on a mat in the sun. The dried beans will have a moisture percentage of 7 to 7.5. Our farmers are well trained in organic/ Fairtrade production of Cocoa and post harvest handling.

Cocoa beans contain approximately 50% fat. It is primarily comprised of two saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids, and the mono unsaturated oleic acid. The cacao bean contains lot of carbohydrates, but most of it is starch, soluble dietary fibers and insoluble dietary fibers. A very small proportion is simple sugars. Besides, Cocoa beans contain polyphenols with antioxidant properties which are health beneficial. These compounds are called flavonoids and include catechins, epicatechins, and procyandins. The antioxidant flavinoids are found in the nonfat portions of the cocoa bean. The flavinoids also reduce the blood's ability to clot and thus reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

Apart from these, cocoa beans are rich in a number of essential minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese and vitamins like A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid.