← Back to catalogue
Published

cacao

vr.tr.cacao · thing-q42385

Let an agent describe the cacao tree, its varieties, cultivation, diseases and trade, and point to sustainability and due-diligence rules.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.LIV
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Plant The tree itself.

Botany

Form, flowers and pods.

Morphology

Tree, flowers and pods; flowers are mainly pollinated by tiny midges.

  1. What are the tree's size and form? measurement
  2. How are flowers pollinated? definition

Varieties

Genetic groups and cultivars.

Variety

Group and origin.

  1. Which variety or genetic group is this? provenance
  2. What traits does it have? definition
Cultivation Growing cacao.

Growing conditions

Climate, shade, soil.

Conditions

Rainfall, temperature, shade.

  1. Which conditions does the tree need? measurement
  2. Is it grown in agroforestry? definition

Pests and diseases

Main threats.

Disease

Disease and management.

  1. Which disease affects the trees? definition
  2. Who advises on control? action
Processing From pod to bean.

Fermentation and drying

On-farm processing.

Post-harvest

Fermentation and drying.

  1. How were the beans fermented and dried? provenance
  2. How long did each step take? measurement

Quality

Grading and defects.

Grade

Bean quality and defects.

  1. What grade are the beans? measurement
  2. Which standard was used? provenance
Trade and sustainability Supply chains.

Origin and trade

Producing countries and trade.

Origin

Country, region and farm.

  1. Where were the beans grown? provenance
  2. Can the plot be traced? provenance

Due diligence

Deforestation and labour rules.

Compliance

Rules and evidence.

  1. Which due-diligence rules apply? provenance
  2. What evidence supports compliance? provenance

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.LIV
Other names and narrower kinds
Trinitario

What it is Filled

Theobroma cacao, a small evergreen tree of the mallow family native to the Amazon basin and grown in the humid tropics, whose seeds (cocoa beans) are fermented and dried to make cocoa and chocolate.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent describe the cacao tree, its varieties, cultivation, diseases and trade, and point to sustainability and due-diligence rules.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Flowers and pods grow directly from the trunk and old branches.
  • Grown mainly within about 20 degrees of the equator.
  • Not related to coca, the source of cocaine.

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • give trading or investment advice
  • certify a supply chain as free of child labour or deforestation
  • give pesticide doses

Only with a human decision

  • due-diligence conclusions for compliance

May

  • describe the plant, cultivation and trade
  • point to due-diligence and sustainability rules

Moral aspects Filled

  • farmer incomes
  • child labour
  • forest protection

Who is affected

  • smallholder farmers and children
  • forest ecosystems

Owners Filled

Steward

the farmer or plantation that grows it; as a species, nobody

Master systems

  • national cocoa boards
  • plant genetic resource collections

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q11992872 - registry parent class
  • Q188840 - registry parent class
  • Q904653 - registry parent class

related

  • cocoa bean - the seed
  • tree - Malvaceae
  • coca - unrelated plant
  • EU Deforestation Regulation - cocoa is a covered commodity

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.cacao
  • Wikidata: Q42385 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42385)
  • scientific name: Theobroma cacao L.

Direct properties required Filled

  • tree height: 4-8 m - cultivated; wild trees grow taller
  • pod length: 15-30 cm
  • beans per pod: 20-50 beans

Recognition required Filled

  • Pods growing directly from the trunk (cauliflory)
  • Ribbed, rugby-ball-shaped pods
  • Beans in white pulp inside the pod
  • An understorey tree with large glossy leaves and small flowers growing directly on the trunk and branches, bearing ribbed pods that ripen yellow, orange, red or purple.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • describe the tree, pods and beans
  • name varieties and growing regions
  • explain processing from pod to bean
  • point to rules on deforestation and child labour in supply chains

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Diseases such as black pod, witches' broom and cacao swollen shoot virus
  • Deforestation for new plantations
  • Child labour in supply chains
  • Price volatility affecting farmers

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • EU Deforestation Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, covering cocoa; applies from 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and 30 June 2027 for most micro and small operators
  • ISO 34101 sustainable and traceable cocoa (ISO)
  • ILO Conventions 138 and 182 on child labour

Context of use required Filled

  • Producing cocoa beans for cocoa powder, cocoa butter and chocolate.
  • Criollo (traditional group)
  • Forastero, including Amelonado (traditional group)
  • Trinitario (traditional hybrid group)
  • Nacional
  • ten molecular genetic groups

Sources Filled

  1. Q42385 - identity of the registry item, labels and sitelinks
  2. Theobroma cacao - general description of the subject
  3. Theobroma cacao L. - taxonomy and distribution
  4. Cocoa (Chocolate Bean) Growing in the Florida Home Landscape - botany and cultivation
  5. Geographic and genetic population differentiation of the Amazonian chocolate tree - ten genetic groups
  6. Commission updates product scope and digital tools to support implementation of EU Deforestation Regulation - EUDR timing

Open questions

  • The living species and the harvested cocoa bean should be distinct linked entries.

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q42385/spec.json