Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is native to the Amazon rainforest and has been cultivated and consumed throughout the Americas since before Columbus. Cacao can be broadly segregated into to contrasting types based on quality: bulk cacao is used for most candy and food products, and fine cacao is preferred for speciality chocolates. There are dozens of […]
There are two major cultivated species of coffee: arabica (Coffea arabica) and robusta (Coffea canephora), each with a multitude of varieties adapted to a broad range of ecological conditions. Arabica represents seventy per cent of global production, while robusta represents about thirty per cent. Traditionally, arabica has been cultivated as ‘shade coffee’ grown at higher […]
The spikes in commodity prices in the first decade of the twenty-first century coincided with a global boom in biofuels. The interest in biofuels was motivated allegedly by a concern for global warming but other, more mundane, reasons played a vital role. In advanced economies, this included a geopolitical urgency to lessen dependence on fossil-fuel […]
Coffee and cacao have much in common. Both are descended from understory trees adapted to the low-light conditions of the forest floor. Each have multiple cultivated varieties that differ with respect to quality, as defined by the aromas and other phytochemicals that act as flavor enhancers and stimulants. Both are perennial cash crops that require […]
Palm oil is different from most agricultural commodities because the raw harvested product, fresh fruit bunches, must be processed within 48 hours or it will spoil. This fact dictates that plantations and mills must be in close juxtaposition. In the case of soy and beef, the decision on where to locate a crushing mill or […]