Ghana: Six Pods in a Toolbox - The History of Fresh Produce

Why did a blacksmith hide six cocoa pods under his tools to smuggle them past Spanish customs — and how did those six pods become the foundation of an industry that today supplies sixty percent of the world's chocolate? Who was Tetteh Quarshie, the man who spent six years watching cocoa grow on a plantation island before bringing the knowledge home to Ghana, and why has the credit for what he did been contested ever since? And what does it mean that the average cocoa farmer in Ghana earns a dollar a day for producing the raw material of a chocolate bar that sells for the same price? Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Ghana and cocoa — the toolbox, the Cocoa Hold-Up of 1937, and the smallholder revolution that made a country from six pods... \---------- *In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.* The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here! \----------- Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community. Support us! 1. Share this episode with your friends 2. Give a 5-star rating 3. Write a review \----------- Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more. \----------- Instagram, TikTok, Threads: @historyoffreshproduce Email: [historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com](mailto:historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com)