Chocolate Kingdom - Mario Villavicencio

Year
2024
Tags
chocolate shortage
cocoa production
CCN-51
Ecuador
climate change
crop disease
agricultural innovation
Omero Castro Zurita
documentary film
MFA thesis
global food systems
sustainable agriculture
cacao research
unsung scientific heroes
Florida
Summary

Chocolate production is declining due to climate change and disease, threatening global supply. Ecuador’s cacao variety CCN-51, created by Omero Castro Zurita in 1965, offers a disease-resistant, high-yield solution. This MFA documentary project highlights his overlooked legacy and investigates whether CCN-51 can sustainably address the global cocoa shortage.