4. They use the sunlight and the green
(chlorophyll) in their leaves to make sugars
from carbon dioxide (which they breathe in
through their leaves during the day) and
water. This sugar is then used to give the
plant energy so that it can grow. This process
is called photosynthesis and is the most
important process on the planet, as many other
plants and animals depend on plants to
survive. Most of the energy is used to make
new plant material, although some of it is
stored by the plant for use during the months
when there is less sunlight.
Water + Carbon Dioxide + Sunlight + Chlorophyll (green leaves) = Glucose (Sugar) + Oxygen
COCOA TREE
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
It gives the
plant energy to
grow
(nutrition).
FOOD FOR
PLANTS
5. COCOA BEAN TREE
RESPIRATION
PLANTS
RESPIRATION
(OXYGEN)
During the night, plants breathe in oxygen.
This is called respiration. The plant also needs
minerals to grow, which the plant takes from the
soil where they are dissolved in water. The
plant releases any water that it doesn't need
into the air through its leaves. This is called
transpiration.
Plants are the only living organisms that can
make their own food.
NIGHT
PLANTS
TRANSPIRATION
(WATER)
6. COCOA BEANS
Cocoa beans are little beans found in the
pods that grow on cacao (cocoa) trees. The
pods are yellow, green and red and are
about as big as a small pumpkin.
When the pods are ready to be picked,
they are cut open so the beans inside can
be taken out and roasted (baked). Before
the cocoa bean is roasted, it has over three
hundred different flavours.
7. COCOA BEANS
Roasting the beans dries them so they can
be crushed into cocoa (chocolate powder).
Plain cocoa is very bitter. It’s not really
chocolate until you add sugar.
Cocoa beans can be crushed using
machines or people’s feet.
8. COCOA BEANS
ORIGIN
Cocoa beans grow on trees in South America or somewhere else south of the
Equator. That is, in climates where it is hot and humid all year long. Cocoa trees
need neat and humidity, but they do not grow well unless they are planted near
taller trees that will help shade them from the direct sun.
EQUATOR
ORIGINALLY FROM
SOUTH AMERICA
(Brazil, Ecuador,
Bolivia, Peru,…)
Seeds were transported and planted a very long time
ago to other places like Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory
Coast, Cameroon,…
Mexico
Indonesia
9. COCOA BEANS
CURIOSITIES
Cocoa trees grow slowly. It takes three to
five years for cocoa trees to produce pods
with beans for making chocolate. Cocoa
trees can live up to two hundred years, but
will only produce cocoa beans for about
twenty-five of those years.
A tree produces about one thousand cocoa
beans every year. That is enough to make
about two pounds of chocolate.
Think about this…
Every year, people all over the world eat or drink 2 BILLION pounds of chocolate
every year. So…if every cocoa tree produces enough beans to make only 2 pounds
of chocolate a year, 1 BILLION cocoa trees are needed every year to keep the world
supplied in chocolate.
10. COCOA BEANS
CURIOSITIES
The first chocolate
The Mayan Indians were the first people we know of to
use chocolate. They crushed the beans into powder and
mixed it with water for…HOT CHOCLATE. They called it
‘bitter water’ because they did not put sugar in it.
The Mayans even used cocoa beans for money. Mayan
Indians used cocoa beans to buy slaves and animals.
11. COCOA BEANS
Other interesting facts about cocoa
Chocolate is the number one use for cocoa beans, but it isn’t the
only thing they are good for. Cocoa beans can also be used for…
• The oil taken from cocoa beans before they are roasted is called
cocoa butter. It is used to make chocolate and many other food
items.
• Some animals like to eat cocoa bean hulls (shells).
• The hulls from the cocoa beans are used as mulch. Mulch is
what people put around trees and in flower beds to keep the
weeds from growing.
• Cocoa is NOT used to make white chocolate.
12. HOW IS CHOCOLATE
MADE?
PRIMARY SECTOR: AGRICULTURE.
1. Pick up the pods from the cocoa tree.
2. Cut the pods and take the cocoa beans out (white cocoa beans).
3. Dry the cocoa beans in boxes for almost 50 days (their colour changes from white to
brown).
4. Lay the cocoa beans out in the sun for about 1 week.
5. Take the oil from the cocoa beans (cocoa butter, which is used to make chocolate and
other products).
6. Put the cocoa beans into boxes and send them to chocolate factories.
SECONDARY SECTOR: CHOCOLATE FACTORIES.
1. Roast the cocoa beans (fire). It’s when they become darker (dark brown or black).
2. Crush the cocoa beans using a complex machine at the factories. (or with workers’ feet in
some places). They get cocoa powder.
3. Mix the cocoa powder with sugar, milk and other ingredients.
4. Pour the mixture into a mould to give chocolate a shape.
5. Chocolate bars are made.
6. TERTIARY SECTOR. DISTRIBUTION: different MEANS OF TRANSPORT take the
chocolate bars to the SHOPS where people can buy them.
