Abstract
Since at least 600 BC, cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) has occupied a place of cultural importance in Mesoamerica. In many Maya groups its importance as a ritual food plant is second only to maize (Zea mays L.). The Ch’orti’ Maya and their culturally non-indigenous Ladino neighbours in Eastern Guatemala continue to use cacao for culinary and ceremonial purposes. Of particular importance are cacao uses in Ch’orti’ rain ceremonies, which are strongly connected to local environmental knowledge. The protection of cacao as a sacred tree may help to limit slash-and-burn maize agriculture to sustainable levels.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all research participants in Guatemala for generously sharing their knowledge and Cameron McNeil for very stimulating discussions, the initial suggestion to study cacao uses in Eastern Guatemala, and valuable comments on the manuscript. We would also like to thank the Belgian Mission in Jocotán, Brent Metz, Kerry Hull, Julian López, Elfriede Pöll, Harald Förther, Christa Little-Siebold, Claudia Dary, C. Lincoln Vaughan, Carole Finlay and Inge Schleehauf, as well as two anonymous reviewers. Fieldwork was funded by the Richard Cannell Travel Fund and the German Service for Academic Exchange (DAAD). This work is part of a PhD thesis supported by a studentship of The School Pharmacy, University of London.
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Kufer, J., Grube, N. & Heinrich, M. Cacao in Eastern Guatemala––a sacred tree with ecological significance. Environ Dev Sustain 8, 597–608 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-006-9046-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-006-9046-3