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In this article, I discuss allegations that a case of bioterrorism lay behind the introduction of a fungus that kills cacao trees, which appeared in Brazil’s northeast. I strongly dislike conspiracy theories. At the same time, sometimes there are real conspiracies. In this case, we don’t have enough evidence to judge whether the allegations are true, even though one person confessed. So was this a horrible political crime? A conspiracy narrative concocted for political reasons? One thing is certain- the fungus was introduced into northeastern Brazil. One correction: in the podcast I said that the fungus was introduced into the heart of plantations, but I know realize that I probably misunderstood, and that the outbreak first appeared along a river and a road. As always, my thanks go to Paige Smallman for editing!
Terms:
Witches Broom: a fungus (Moniliophthora perniciosa; older name Crinipellis perniciosa) that infects cacao trees
Theobroma cacao: the tree that produces the cacao pod. Each pod has seeds, from which chocolate can be made.
Olmecs: the mother culture of MesoAmerica.
Maya, an ancient cultural area in southern Mexico and northern Central America.
Aztecs, a cultural group that dominated Mexico at the time of the Spanish conquest
Bahia, a major cacao producing state in northeastern Brazil
CEPLAC: Brazilian government agency charged with promoting cacao- Comissão Executiva do Planejamento da Lavoura Cacaueira
Jorge Amado, a Brazilian author whose novels were set in Bahia, in Brazil’s northeast.
Wade Davis, One River. A history of the Amazon, and the search for rubber trees resistant to disease.
Fusarium Wilt: a disease of bananas; also known as Panama disease
References:
Andebrhan, T., Figueira, A., Yamada, M. M., Cascardo, J., & Furtek, D. B. (1999). Molecular fingerprinting suggests two primary outbreaks of witches' broom disease (Crinipellis perniciosa) of Theobroma cacao in Bahia, Brazil. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 105(2), 167-175. Note: if you really want to do a deep dive into the scientific literature on this fungus, this source has the references that you’ll need.
Araujo, Dilson. the Knot. Documentary. Portuguese language with subtitles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0mPiYocm-4#t=716&hd=1
Caldas, Marcellus M., and Stephen Perz. "Agro-terrorism? The causes and consequences of the appearance of witch’s broom disease in cocoa plantations of southern Bahia, Brazil." Geoforum 47 (2013): 147-157. Note: If you are only going to read one scientific article on this possible case of bioterrorism, this is the one to choose.
Brucher, Heinz. (1987). The Isthmus of Panama as a Crossroad for Prehistoric Migration of Domesticated Plants. GeoJournal, 14(1), 121-122. Note: if you want to learn more about the man behind an alleged plan to eliminate the coca plant, you can read his own work with this source.
Gade, D. (2006). Converging ethnobiology and ethnobiography: cultivated plants, Heinz Brucher and Nazi ideology. Journal of Ethnobiology, 26(1), 82-106. Note: this article provides information regarding the man who sought to wipe out the coca plant.
Youkee, Mat (January 25, 2018). "Who Killed the Nazi Scientist trying to Wipe out Cocaine," Ozy. https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/who-killed-the-nazi-botanist-trying-to-wipe-out-cocaine/83066/
Created and Recorded by Shawn Smallman
Produced and Edited by Paige Smallman
Music "Sun of Africa" by Robert Meunier
