Author #117: Melissa Stewart substantiates the symbiosis in forests with cocoa trees

Intricately paced from chocolate to cocoa pods to leaves and roots, No Monkeys, No Chocolate traces the path to an abundant harvest of cocoa beans as we meet the many different characters who each play a integral part in helping a cocoa tree to be the most productive it can be.  By contrast, on typical cocoa farms, the conditions result in "fewer than five percent of all cocoa flowers (producing) pods" as opposed to the more natural cocoa tree forest approach as presented in the book where the cocoa trees give a much higher yield of cocoa beans.

Matt Ford wrote an article for CNN titled:  "Chocolate's bitter sweet relationship with the rainforest" that discusses the plight of rainforest grown cocoa beans vs those grown on cleared land as mono-cultures.  Help support some local producers of bean to bar or brew chocolate:

• http://www.criobru.com/
• http://www.amanochocolate.com/
• http://www.mezzochocolate.com/ 
• http://www.eatchocolateconspiracy.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/SolsticeChocolate
• http://millcreekcacao.com/
• and Ruth Kendrick's gourmet chocolate site: http://chocolot.com/