Can I participate in the farming/harvesting of chocolate/cacao as a tourist anywhere in the world?

1. Can you grow cacao in Hawaii?
2. Can you grow cacao in the US?
3. Where can you grow cacao?
4. How much does a cocoa farmer get paid?
5. What crop is only grown in Hawaii?
6. How do you grow a cacao plant?
7. Is it illegal to grow cocoa plants?
8. How tall do cacao trees grow?
9. Do chimpanzees love the taste of cocoa?
10. How many times a year are cacao pods harvested?
11. Where is the best cacao from?
12. How long does cacao take to grow?

Can you grow cacao in Hawaii?

Hawaii sits about 20 degrees north of the equator, right on the periphery of the tree's cultivation range. Fast forward nearly 200 years from the Hawaiian monarch's first cacao trees, Hawaii is now the only state that commercially grows cacao.

Can you grow cacao in the US?

Cocoa beans do indeed grow in the USA, but only in very limited areas. ... Much like their parent trees, cocoa beans need constant warm temperatures in order to thrive - usually between 65 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit - along with high humidity and ample rainfall (40-100 inches annually).

Where can you grow cacao?

The Theobroma cacao tree originated in the upper Amazon basin region (Brazil, Colombia, and Peru). Today, cacao is grown by 40-50 million cocoa farmers in more than 50 countries around the world. 90% of the world's cocoa is grown on small family farms, while only 5% is grown on larger commercial plantations.

How much does a cocoa farmer get paid?

The average cocoa farm will produce one or two tonnes of cocoa beans a year; one tonne is 16 sacks of cocoa. The average farmer will make between $1,400-$2,000 profit a year, at most about $5 a day, which will need to support 6-10 dependants.

What crop is only grown in Hawaii?

Easily the most famous crop grown in Hawaii, the pineapple is synonymous with the islands, and Hawaii is thought to have the most delicious pineapple in the world.

How do you grow a cacao plant?

Situate the cacao 10 feet or so from a taller evergreen that can provide partial shade and wind protection. Dig a hole three times the depth and width of the tree's root ball. Return two thirds of the loose soil back into the hole and set the tree atop the mound at the same level it grew in its pot.

Is it illegal to grow cocoa plants?

It is illegal to import, obtain, grow or possess coca plants or any part of a coca plant. It would be a bit harder to have plausible deniability if found with them growing in your garden. Every year as it reseeds itself easily. I also collect seeds for baking and dried pods for decorative use.

How tall do cacao trees grow?

Each pod contains 20 to 40 beans. Approximately 400 beans are required to make one pound of chocolate. How much space does a cacao tree need to grow? Cacao trees grow 15 to 25 feet (4.5 – 6 m) tall and need an area of about 15 square feet (1.4 square meters).

Do chimpanzees love the taste of cocoa?

Cocoa trees grow best in the rainforest. Chimpanzees love the taste of sticky, sweet cocoa beans.

How many times a year are cacao pods harvested?

The pods on a tree do not ripen together; harvesting needs to be done periodically through the year. Harvesting occurs between three and four times weekly during the harvest season.

Where is the best cacao from?

Ecuador is home to some of the best cacao beans in the world. Only approximately 5% of cacao in the world is labeled as “Fine Aroma,” and Ecuador produces nearly 63% of it.

How long does cacao take to grow?

Growing a cacao tree — the plant whose pods are made into chocolate — takes patience. It takes three to five years for a cacao seed to become a fruiting tree.