Farmers, Backbone of America - The Trail of the Cacao Bean Belt In USA and around the world

Earth view of the current Cacao Belt.

Agricultural belts! We are all familiar with the Corn Belt, the Wheat Belt, the Cotton Belt, the Rust Belt, and, of course, the Sun Belt. Across the globe, it has been discovered that different areas produce more favorable types of crops than others based on where the sun hits as the Earth orbits.

Lo and behold, there is one very important belt that is consumed worldwide but rarely mentioned as a crop of the United States. This specific crop is loved by just about everyone, especially around the holidays. What could it be but our most flavorful bean, the cacao bean—often called the cocoa bean. Cocoa beans are typically grown within 20 degrees of the equator on small Theobroma cacao trees, which reach 20 to 25 feet in height at elevations of less than 2,000 feet.

This is interesting, but if we look a little deeper, things are changing for the cocoa crop as well as the environment. We are currently facing a global climate crisis. Tsunamis, hurricanes, tropical storms, and blizzards all affect the production of the cocoa bean. Looking at wholesale prices, cocoa reached a record high of over $11,000 per ton at the end of 2024. In comparison, by 2026, prices have settled at about $3,100 per ton; however, retail prices have not yet caught up with this drop in wholesale costs.

Climate and energy projections show that rising temperatures are prompting cocoa farmers to move their plantations to regions further from the equator and to higher altitudes, which can lead to the destruction of the rainforest. Moving entire crops like cocoa was previously unheard of years ago.

Agroecology and regenerative agriculture also play a huge role in this industry. Calendar years 2025 and 2026 have been turned upside down for numerous economic reasons, and we can only hope that the 2026/2027 season starts to balance out. If farmers in the cocoa belt find it feasible to move their crops to more suitable areas, the laws of supply and demand may help balance our world and bring down prices.

With global warming, we might even see a United States "cocoa belt" emerge within the Sun Belt or other new areas of the country. While that sounds hopeful, a California company named California Cultured is already in the process of growing lab-based cocoa cells in vats. They are looking to begin production by 2027. Interestingly, lab-grown food is considered cellular agriculture and is governed by FDA oversight, whereas the USDA oversees the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. It truly becomes an information overload once you start digging deeper.

Have a great week!