The Geography of Cacao

12 Feb 2024

How have humans influenced the current distribution of Theobroma cacao?

Matheus uses a combination of data from herbarium specimens and remote sensing to elucidate the areas to which cacao is native and how it has been distributed subsequently by humans. The analyses indicate an origin in the Northwestern Amazon with human mediated dispersal first to other parts of tropical America such as Central America and Eastern Brazil, followed by translocation to tropical Asia and Africa. Paper just out in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation.