The humid tropical forests of South America conceal an unexpected treasure: three new plant species, close relatives of the Theobroma cacao tree from which chocolate is made. This discovery could not have come at a better time — when the main agricultural crop is in despair over droughts, diseases and climate change. The three new species — T. globosum, T. nervosum and T. schultesii — expand the genetic arsenal available to breeders and researchers in the race to save the future of chocolate.
The main supplier of cocoa beans — West Africa, which produces about 70% of the world's output — has faced a serious crisis in recent years. In the 2023–2024 season, drought and disease caused harvests to fall by 11%, which triggered a surge in prices on the world market: in 2024 prices tripled compared with 2023, reaching record levels. The species Theobroma cacao, which underlies almost all chocolate, has proved extremely vulnerable to climate fluctuations and fungal pathogens. Scientists had long been searching for close relatives capable of passing on useful traits of adaptability, but finds were rare.
The new species were discovered by scientists from University College Cork, the University of São Paulo, the New York Botanical Garden and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, while studying ancient herbarium specimens collected in the western Amazon, covering the territories of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. It was the first complete revision of the genus Theobroma in more than 60 years. Each species displays unique adaptations: T. schultesii is the tallest of the three (up to 8 metres), with cream-and-red flowers and large conical fruits, and grows in coastal areas of the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean; T. globosum is distinguished by spherical fruits and smaller leaves, and inhabits the Amazon; T. nervosum is characterised by serrated leaves with prominent secondary veins that form distinctive protrusions along the leaf margin. These morphological features point to deep adaptations to different conditions of moisture, light and habitat pressure.
The study, published in the prestigious journal Kew Bulletin in July 2024, emphasises that the discovery substantially expands the genetic pool for breeding. Breeders now gain a tool for crossing these wild forms with cultivated cocoa in order to increase resistance to drought, excessive moisture and diseases such as black pod and witches' broom. However, this is not an instant solution but long-term, painstaking work requiring field trials, genomic analysis and many years of selection.
In nature, one species often complements another: the root system of one tolerates drought better, the leaves of another work more efficiently under excess water, a third is more resistant to disease. The new Theobroma species could become building material for hybrid varieties capable of growing in conditions where traditional cocoa no longer survives. This is critically important: each tree requires at least 1000–1100 mm of precipitation a year, but the modern climate makes such a balance increasingly unpredictable.
The discovery once again highlights why preserving tropical forests is not merely a question of ecology but a question of economic survival. The genetic diversity of wild flora is a natural bank of solutions for global agricultural problems. Without preserving the ecosystems of the Amazon and further studying its biodiversity, the chances of sustainable cocoa plantations in the twenty-first century decline markedly. The future not only of chocolate but also of the well-being of millions of peasant families, for whom cocoa remains their main source of income, may depend on how seriously the world takes the protection of these forests.
