Kakao Theobroma cacao

About Kakao (Cacao)

Kakao, scientifically Theobroma cacao, is a tropical evergreen tree in the family Malvaceae whose fermented and processed seeds are the source of all chocolate and cocoa products. The genus name Theobroma — literally "food of the gods" in Greek — was bestowed by Linnaeus in 1753, reflecting the profound cultural reverence for this plant across its Mesoamerican homeland. In the Philippines, kakao has evolved from a colonial-era plantation crop into the foundation of a thriving artisan chocolate industry now winning international awards.

The cacao tree grows 4 to 8 meters tall under shade, with large, leathery, elongated leaves up to 30 centimeters long. Its most distinctive feature is cauliflory — the production of tiny pink or white flowers (and subsequently large pods) directly on the trunk and major branches rather than at branch tips. Each tree can produce thousands of flowers annually, but only 1 to 5 percent are pollinated successfully, primarily by midges (Ceratopogonidae). The resulting pods are football-shaped, 15 to 25 cm long, and contain 20 to 50 beans surrounded by sweet, white mucilaginous pulp.

The Philippines is a significant cacao-producing nation, with Davao Region accounting for over 80 percent of national output. The country produces approximately 10,000 to 12,000 metric tons of dried cacao beans annually, with government programs targeting expansion to 100,000 hectares by 2030. Philippine cacao is predominantly grown in coconut-cacao and banana-cacao agroforestry systems by smallholder farmers with 1 to 5 hectare holdings. The emergence of Philippine single-origin chocolate brands — Auro, Malagos, Theo and Philo — has elevated Filipino cacao to international recognition, with products winning gold medals at European and American chocolate competitions.

History and Discovery

Theobroma cacao was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The species originated in the upper Amazon basin of South America, with recent genetic research pinpointing the area around the borders of modern Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru as the center of cacao diversity. Wild cacao was used by Amazonian peoples for at least 5,300 years, and the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations of Mesoamerica transformed it into a ritual beverage central to their cultures — a foamy, spiced drink consumed by royalty and offered to gods.

Cacao arrived in the Philippines through the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade in the early 1600s, making the Philippines one of the first Asian countries to cultivate the crop. Spanish colonial records document cacao plantations in Cavite, Laguna, and eventually Davao by the 18th century. Filipinos adapted cacao into their own culinary traditions, developing tablea — handcrafted chocolate discs made from roasted and ground local beans — and the beloved tsokolate beverages: tsokolate de bato (pure, thick, unsweetened), tsokolate eh (thick with milk), and tsokolate ah (thin, more milky). The wooden whisk (batirol or molinillo) used to froth tsokolate remains an iconic symbol of Filipino heritage cuisine.

Philippine cacao production expanded significantly after World War II, particularly in Davao, where Japanese and Filipino-Japanese communities had established plantations pre-war. The modern Philippine cacao industry experienced a renaissance beginning in the 2010s, driven by the global bean-to-bar movement and growing international demand for single-origin chocolate. The founding of companies like Malagos Chocolate (2013) and Auro Chocolate (2015) demonstrated that Philippine cacao could compete at the highest international quality levels, winning gold medals at the Academy of Chocolate Awards and the International Chocolate Awards.

How to Plant Kakao

Propagation methods: Grafting (recommended), Budding, Seed

Germination time: 7 to 14 days from fresh seed (viability lost within 2 weeks)

Best planting season in the Philippines: June to August, at the onset of the rainy season

Step-by-Step Planting Guide

1. Select improved grafted cacao clones. Always use grafted or budded seedlings from PCAARRD-recommended clones rather than random seedlings. Top Philippine clones include BR25, UF18, PBC123, ICS95, and the Philippine-developed K1 and K2 series. Grafted trees produce beans with known, consistent quality and begin bearing 2 to 3 years earlier than seedling trees. Source from DA-accredited nurseries or established cacao farms that maintain mother gardens of elite clones.
2. Prepare the planting site with adequate shade. Cacao is an understory species requiring 50 to 70 percent shade during its first 3 years, gradually reduced to 30 to 50 percent for mature fruiting trees. The most common Philippine system is intercropping cacao under existing coconut palms (coconut-cacao agroforestry), which provides ideal light filtering. Alternatively, plant under banana for temporary shade or establish permanent shade with leguminous trees like Madre de Cacao. Clear undergrowth, prepare planting holes 40 by 40 by 40 cm at 3 by 3 meter spacing (1,111 trees per hectare), and mix topsoil with 3 to 5 kg of aged organic compost per hole.
3. Plant cacao seedlings at the start of wet season. Transplant 4 to 6 month old grafted seedlings (with at least 3 leaf pairs above the graft union) in June to August when reliable rains begin. Remove polybags carefully, place root ball at the same depth as in the nursery, and firm soil gently. If permanent shade is not yet established, provide temporary shade using banana leaves, coconut fronds, or 50% shade cloth on stakes. Water thoroughly at planting and apply a generous mulch layer of dried leaves, coconut coir, or rice hull around the base.
4. Maintain young trees through the establishment phase. Water weekly during dry spells for the first 2 to 3 years — cacao is much less drought-tolerant than coffee or coconut. Apply organic fertilizer (well-decomposed chicken manure or vermicast) at 2 to 3 kg per tree every 4 months. Remove all suckers (chupons) that sprout below the graft union, as these revert to unimproved rootstock genetics. Begin structural pruning at 12 to 18 months: maintain the jorquette (the natural fan-shaped branching point) with 3 to 5 well-spaced main branches, and remove inward-growing and crossing branches to create an open, vase-shaped canopy.
5. Manage bearing trees for maximum pod production. Grafted trees begin cauliflory (fruiting on trunk) at year 2 to 3, with significant harvests from year 3 to 5. Regular maintenance pruning every 3 to 4 months removes dead wood, water sprouts, and diseased material. Practice phytosanitary pod management — remove any pods showing signs of black pod rot or cacao pod borer damage immediately and bury or burn them away from the plantation. Maintain 4 fertilizer applications per year timed to flushing (new leaf growth) and pod development cycles.
6. Harvest ripe pods and process beans properly. Harvest pods every 2 to 3 weeks when they change color — Forastero types turn from green to yellow-orange, while Criollo and Trinitario types turn from green to red or purple. Cut pods from the trunk with a sharp bolo or pruning shears without damaging the flower cushion (the spot where the pod grew). Open pods within 3 days of harvest. Scoop out beans and pulp, then ferment in wooden boxes for 5 to 7 days (critical for chocolate flavor development), turning the mass every 48 hours. After fermentation, sun-dry beans on raised bamboo beds or in solar dryers for 5 to 7 days until moisture content reaches 7 percent. Well-fermented, properly dried beans command 80 to 150 pesos per kilogram (wet beans) at the farmgate.

Care Guide

Sunlight

Requirement: Partial Shade (understory conditions)

Cacao evolved in the understory of Amazonian rainforest and requires shade throughout its life. Young trees (0 to 3 years) need 50 to 70 percent shade; mature bearing trees perform best at 30 to 50 percent shade. Direct full sun causes leaf scorch, pod sunburn, and accelerated moisture loss. In the Philippine context, the most productive and practical shade system is coconut-cacao intercropping, where the widely-spaced coconut canopy provides ideal filtered light. Full sun cacao plantations exist in some countries but require intensive irrigation and produce beans with less complex flavor profiles.

Water

Frequency: Consistent moisture — never drought-stressed

Cacao requires 1,500 to 2,500 mm of well-distributed rainfall annually and is significantly less drought-tolerant than coffee or coconut. The tree has shallow feeder roots in the top 20 cm of soil and suffers quickly when this zone dries out. In the Philippines, areas with a prolonged dry season exceeding 3 months without supplemental irrigation are risky for cacao. Davao's relatively even rainfall distribution (no extreme dry season) is one reason it dominates Philippine cacao production. During establishment, water young trees weekly in dry weather. Mulching is essential for moisture conservation — maintain a 10 to 15 cm thick organic mulch layer around each tree.

Soil

Type: Deep, rich, well-drained loam or clay loam

pH Range: 5.5 to 7.0

Cacao thrives in deep (at least 1 meter), fertile, well-drained soils with high organic matter content — ideally 3 percent or above. The tree is adapted to the rich, decomposing-leaf-litter soils of tropical forests. In the Philippines, volcanic soils of Davao, alluvial deposits in river valleys, and well-maintained garden soils all support productive cacao. Heavy clay without organic amendment restricts root growth and causes waterlogging. Sandy soils drain too quickly and require heavy mulching and frequent organic amendment. Soil depth matters — cacao's taproot reaches 1 to 2 meters, so avoid shallow or rocky soils.

Humidity and Temperature

Humidity: 70 to 90%

Temperature: 21°C to 32°C (optimum 25°C to 28°C)

Cacao requires consistently warm, humid conditions — it is among the most climate-sensitive tropical crops. Minimum temperature must stay above 15 degrees Celsius at all times; frost is immediately fatal. The ideal range of 25 to 28 degrees Celsius matches Philippine lowland conditions perfectly. High humidity (70 to 90 percent) supports the midge pollinators essential for pod set and maintains the moisture conditions cacao leaves prefer. The Philippines' equatorial position, with minimal temperature variation between seasons, provides year-round conditions suitable for continuous flowering and fruiting — cacao can produce pods every month given adequate care.

Fertilizer

Cacao is a heavy feeder that removes significant nutrients from the soil through pod harvest. Apply organic fertilizer (vermicast, chicken manure, or cacao pod husk compost) at 3 to 5 kg per tree per year, split into 4 applications. Supplement with complete inorganic fertilizer (14-14-14) at 200 to 300 grams per tree per application for bearing trees. Potassium is particularly important for pod development — apply muriate of potash (0-0-60) at 50 to 100 grams per tree during heavy fruiting periods. Foliar micronutrient sprays (zinc, boron) during flowering improve fruit set.

Pruning

Proper pruning is critical for cacao productivity and disease management. Conduct structural pruning in the first 2 years to establish a vase-shaped canopy with 3 to 5 main branches off the jorquette. Maintenance pruning every 3 to 4 months removes dead branches, water sprouts (chupons from above the graft), crossing branches, and any growth that blocks light to the trunk where pods develop. Sanitary pruning removes diseased pods and branches immediately upon detection. Cacao flowers and pods form on old wood — never remove the flower cushions on the trunk. Rejuvenation pruning (side grafting onto old trunks) can restore productivity to aging or damaged trees.

Growing Medium Options

Cacao is strictly a soil-grown crop requiring the complex microbial ecosystem of healthy tropical soil for proper growth and nutrition. The tree depends on mycorrhizal fungi associations for phosphorus uptake and benefits enormously from active soil biology maintained by organic mulch decomposition. Its shallow feeder root system and deep taproot both require soil conditions — structure, drainage, aeration, and biological activity — that cannot be replicated in hydroponic or water-based systems. For the home gardener interested in growing cacao ornamentally, a very large container (minimum 100 liters) filled with rich, well-drained potting mix amended with compost can support a young tree, though fruiting will be limited compared to ground-planted trees.

Edible Uses and Nutrition

Edible parts: Seeds (after fermentation and roasting), Pulp (fresh), Pod husk (animal feed)

Culinary Uses

Cacao's primary culinary product is chocolate in its many forms, but Filipino culture has developed unique cacao traditions distinct from Western chocolate consumption. The centerpiece is tablea (or tableya) — hand-crafted discs of pure roasted cacao ground on stone, without added sugar or milk. Tablea is dissolved in hot water and frothed with a batirol (wooden whisk) to create tsokolate de bato, a thick, intense, bittersweet beverage traditionally served alongside puto (rice cake) or pan de sal for merienda. Tsokolate eh is the thicker preparation, tsokolate ah is thinner with more milk. Beyond beverages, cacao is used in champorado (chocolate rice porridge), as a sauce base for some regional meat dishes, and increasingly in bean-to-bar chocolate products. Philippine single-origin chocolate from Auro, Malagos, Theo and Philo, and other craft makers has won gold medals at international competitions, establishing Filipino cacao among the world's finest flavor origins. The fresh white pulp surrounding beans is also edible and delicious — sweet, tangy, and tropical — often eaten as a snack during harvest or fermented into cacao wine or vinegar.

Nutritional Highlights

Harvest time: First pods at year 2 to 3 (grafted trees); continuous harvest year-round in the Philippines with main crop October to March and mid crop April to June.

Storage: Properly fermented and dried cacao beans (7% moisture) stored in jute or GrainPro bags in cool, dry conditions maintain quality for 6 to 12 months. Tablea stored in airtight containers away from heat keeps for 3 to 6 months. Avoid storing near strong odors as cacao readily absorbs surrounding aromas. Finished chocolate products should be stored at 16 to 20 degrees Celsius to prevent bloom (white surface discoloration from cocoa butter crystallization).

Air Quality and Oxygen Production

Cacao agroforestry systems function as carbon-dense, multi-layered plant communities that rival natural forest in terms of ecosystem services. A mature cacao farm under coconut shade contains three vegetative strata — the tall coconut canopy, the mid-level cacao trees, and ground-cover crops or leaf litter — creating a forest-like microclimate that produces oxygen, sequesters carbon, moderates temperature, and supports biodiversity. Philippine cacao systems are increasingly recognized by carbon credit programs as legitimate agroforestry carbon sinks.

CO2 absorption: Moderate to High (agroforestry system context)

Research on tropical cacao agroforestry systems estimates carbon storage of 40 to 80 tons per hectare, depending on shade tree composition and system maturity. The coconut-cacao systems dominant in Davao and Mindanao store carbon in multiple pools: coconut trunks (the largest single reservoir), cacao trunk and root biomass, organic matter in the soil (enhanced by leaf litter from both species), and understory vegetation. Converting degraded grassland or monoculture coconut farms to coconut-cacao agroforestry can add 20 to 40 tons of carbon per hectare over 10 to 20 years while generating farmer income from both crops.

Toxicity and Safety

Humans: Non-toxic (theobromine safe at normal chocolate consumption levels)

Pets: TOXIC to dogs and cats — theobromine cannot be metabolized safely

Cacao beans and all chocolate products contain theobromine, a methylxanthine alkaloid closely related to caffeine. In humans, theobromine is metabolized efficiently and produces mild stimulant effects at normal dietary levels — it would require consuming approximately 1,000 mg per kilogram of body weight to reach toxic doses in humans, an amount virtually impossible to achieve through food. However, dogs and cats metabolize theobromine far more slowly, making even small amounts of dark chocolate or cacao nibs potentially fatal. As little as 20 grams of dark chocolate can poison a small dog. Keep all cacao products, harvested beans, cacao mulch, and chocolate out of reach of pets. The cacao tree itself (leaves, bark, and unharvested pods on the tree) poses minimal risk by casual contact, though ingestion of leaves by animals should be discouraged.

Common Pests and Diseases in the Philippines

Pests

• Cacao pod borer (CPB) — the most destructive cacao pest in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The moth Conopomorpha cramerella lays eggs on developing pods; larvae bore inside, damaging beans and causing premature ripening. Control through frequent harvesting (every 2 weeks), removal of infested pods, sleeving valuable pods with plastic bags, and maintaining proper shade and pruning for air circulation.
• Cacao mirid (Helopeltis) — piercing-sucking bugs that cause necrotic lesions on young pods and shoots. Manage by maintaining shade cover, pruning for air movement, and applying neem-based insecticides during outbreaks.
• Squirrels and rats — gnaw through pod husks to eat the sweet pulp and beans. Control with trapping, habitat management (reduce ground cover near trees), and timely harvesting of ripe pods before rodent damage occurs.

Diseases

• Black pod rot (Phytophthora palmivora) — the most widespread cacao disease globally. Causes dark, spreading lesions on pods, eventually rotting the entire fruit. Manage through sanitary pruning (remove and bury all infected pods), proper drainage, shade management to reduce humidity at pod level, and copper-based fungicide sprays during the wet season.
• Vascular Streak Dieback (VSD) — caused by the fungus Ceratobasidium theobromae. Infected branches show leaf chlorosis (yellowing), dieback from the tips, and brown streaks in the vascular tissue when bark is peeled. Remove infected branches 30 cm below visible symptoms and destroy. Use VSD-tolerant clones in replanting.
• Stem canker — fungal infection causing sunken, dark lesions on the trunk. Often enters through wounds from careless pruning or pod harvesting. Prevent by using sharp, clean tools and avoiding damage to the trunk during harvest.