page_title: Environmental impact of cocoa production
section_title: Process of farming
hierarchical_section_title: Environmental impact of cocoa production / Process of farming
caption_attribution_description: English: Cacao beans drying in Cunday (Tres Esquinas), ColombiaEspañol: Semillas de cacao secandose naturalmente en Cunday (Tres Esquinas), Colombia
context_page_description: The environmental impact of cocoa production includes deforestation, soil contamination, and herbicide resistance. The majority of cocoa farms are located in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana
context_section_description: Cocoa farming can only occur 15 degrees north or south of the Equator. It can take approximately three years after planting for the trees to be fruitful enough to harvest the pods. Cocoa pods are pollinated by tiny flies called midges. Ripe cocoa pods, which are yellow in colour, are then cut down from the trees using a machete. Use of a machete in this fashion, termed machete technology, prevents disease from spreading among cocoa pods, and thereby decreases the need for pesticides. The pods can be very low on branches and easily accessible or higher up on thick branches.  Once they are gathered, they are sliced open and the cocoa beans are extracted from the pods. The beans are then spread out, usually between banana leaves, for a number of days to ferment. Next, the seeds are placed in the sun to dry for several more days.  After drying, they are gathered, placed into bags and taken to collection offices. From there, they are shipped around the world to be processed into end products.
caption: Cacao beans drying in Cunday, Colombia
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