Cocoa beans are grown in pods on the cacao tree, a tropical plant that thrives in the zones just north and south of the equator: the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Farmers of small family farms in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia grow the cocoa beans used to make delicious chocolate around the world.

The leading cocoa producer in the world is West Africa—particularly the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon—exporting around 70% of the world's supply.

There are three types of cacao trees: Criollos, sometimes called the "prince of cacao," produce the highest grade beans. Only 10% of cocoa comes from criollo trees, which are delicate and very susceptible to disease. Hardy, disease-resistant forastero cacao trees are high-yielding, and generate the majority of the world's cocoa beans. The third type of cacao tree is a hybrid of the first two: trinitario, named for the place it originated, Trinidad, combines many of the rich flavor characteristics of criollo with the heartiness of forastero.

There are dozens of subspecies and variations within the three types, such as Rio Caribe from Venezuela, Arriba from Ecuador, and Java from Indonesia.

Source: http://www.cocoapro.com/cnhy/world_choc/wc205.jsp

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