Cacao: The Seed that Nourished Gods, Fueled Empires, and Still Shapes Global Injustice

On March 26th, we mark Cacao Day, often celebrated with chocolate treats. But this commemorative date masks a complex and turbulent history—one that begins not in candy shops, but in sacred temples. For the Maya and Aztec civilizations, cacao (cacahuatl) was a divine gift, a medium of spiritual communication, and a store of economic value. It was consumed in bitter ceremonial drinks, sometimes spiced with chili or annatto, and served in ornate cups during funerary rites or coronations. According to Aztec myth, cacao emerged from the blood of gods sacrificed to create humanity. To drink it was to taste the sacred.

Artwork: SK

The 16th century brought cacao into the violent machinery of colonialism. As Spanish conquistadors dismantled Indigenous societies, they extracted not only gold and silver but also cultural commodities like cacao. Once introduced to Europe, it was adopted by aristocrats and gradually modified with sugar and milk. But to meet growing demand, European empires established cacao plantations across the tropics—run by enslaved labor and supported by ecological devastation. From the forests of Brazil to the coasts of West Africa, cacao became an instrument of imperial expansion. Its role shifted from sacred symbol to commodity in the Atlantic world.

By the late 1800s, cacao had been transformed into an industrial good. Firms like Cadbury, Nestlé, and Lindt commodified chocolate, turning it into a global phenomenon. Yet even as chocolate became widely accessible, the labor and environmental injustices that sustained it deepened. Today, many cacao farmers live below poverty lines, forests are razed to expand production, and human rights abuses remain rampant—especially in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, which together produce over 60% of the world's cacao.

Recent decades have seen a resurgence of ethical and ecological awareness. In Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, for instance, the “cabruca” system integrates cacao cultivation with forest conservation. Indigenous communities and smallholder farmers are reviving heirloom varieties and reclaiming agency over cacao’s narrative. Celebrating Cacao Day, then, must go beyond indulgence. It is an act of remembrance, honoring those who first revered the seed, and a call to support sustainable, just systems of production.

🔍 Fun Fact

In some parts of Chiapas, Mexico, cacao is still used as a spiritual offering during the Day of the Dead. The bitter drink is believed to nourish ancestral spirits—and the recipe has remained unchanged for over a thousand years.

📚 References

• Mintz, Sidney W. Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History (Penguin Books, 1986)

• Leissle, Kristy. Cocoa (Polity Press, 2018)

• Cabruca Institute – Agroforestry and Cacao Sustainability

• ICCO – International Cocoa Organization

• FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

• UNESCO – Cultural Heritage and Indigenous Knowledge