Mars, the giant chocolate maker, is planning on solving humanity’s cocoa crisis (yes, there is one) by joining IBM and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in mapping the DNA of the cacao tree. The purpose of this is to improve cocoa crops and thus the quality of chocolate.

The cacao tree originates in the tropical regions of the Americas, but cocoa plantations can be found in Africa and Asia as well. West Africa is now the number one producer of cocoa in the world (70 percent).

Cocoa has played a major role in the history of ancient civilizations and had multiple uses, from food to medicines and in ceremonies. Moreover, some civilizations even used cocoa as currency system. Cocoa means in the Mayan language “food of the gods.”

Is takes several years for a tree to start producing cacao pods, which contain several hundred seeds. These are mainly used in the manufacture of chocolate and chocolate drinks.

There are several distinct groups of cacao beans, some less bitter and more aromatic than others. These differences in flavor, together with the way the chocolate is processed, can influence the way the final product tastes like.

World’s cocoa production, mostly grown by small farmholders (over 90 percent), has been affected in recent years by climate change and pests, which inflicted serious economic damages and decreased production.

This is where Mars decided to step in and protect the future of the $5 billion market. By sequencing the cocoa genome, the chocolate producer is hoping to improve the breeding of cacao plants, as well as the quality of cocoa and thus the quality of chocolate.

In order to obtain long term results and to increase the plants’ resistances to disease and pest, as well as climate change, researchers have been working on a five-year project to discover the secrets of the cocoa genome.

“Sequencing the genomes of agriculture crops is a critical step if we want to better understand and improve a crop,” said Judy St. John from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as quoted by Reuters.

In recent years, scientists have analyzed the genome of several other plants, such as rice or corn, but cocoa has had little attention so far.

The end of the five-year process of figuring out the cocoa genome will be in fact the beginning of another process, that of generating raw cocoa DNA.

Once the useful genes have been identified, scientists will be able to accelerate the breeding process, improve cocoa crops and obtain higher yields.

Cocoa is not only the key ingredient to the chocolate production, but it also exhibits a series of health benefits.

According to the International Cocoa Organization, chocolate is one of the largest contributors of dietary coppers in the United States (dietary copper is believed to contribute to the prevention of heart disease).

More than that, chocolate is a great source of vitamins, as cocoa contains anything from vitamin E to vitamin B complex. Cocoa butter also contains vitamins A and E.

Some scientists attribute cocoa and chocolate even more health benefits, such as the ability to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.