Both have a hard outer shell that reveals the flesh of the fruit when cut open, as well as the cocoa beans or melon seeds and pulp in the interior.” Conventional chocolate only makes use of the beans, ...

The trees that grow the beans need specific conditions. They can only thrive about 20 degrees north and south of the Earth’s equator, in high humidity and the tropical conditions of the rainforests.

SOUBRE — A pandemic-induced slowdown in global chocolate demand has led to a pile-up of about 100,000 tonnes of cocoa beans in Ivory Coast’s interior, five exporters told Reuters, as farmers struggle ...