1. Towards a Sustainable Cocoa Chain: Power and possibilities within the cocoa and chocolate sector
- Author:
- Jan Cappelle
- Publication Date:
- 01-2009
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- The cocoa tree is an important source of income for millions of farming families in equatorial regions. Cocoa originates in the river valleys of the Amazon and the Orinoco in South America. Its discoverers, the Maya people, gave it the name 'cocoa' (or 'God's food'). Cocoa was introduced to Europe in the fifteenth century. Cocoa imports were heavily taxed, and as a result it was consumed as a drink only by the wealthy. Investment from Great Britain and The Netherlands, combined with the launch of the chocolate bar in 1842 by Cadbury, resulted in a greater demand for chocolate. This led to the gradual expansion of cocoa production, spreading to Africa in 1870.
- Topic:
- Economics, Globalization, International Political Economy, International Trade and Finance, Markets, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- Britain, Africa, Europe, South America, Netherlands, and Amazon Basin