West Africa produces roughly 2/3 of the world's cocoa and lost up to 40% of its harvest across two seasons, which is why chocolate is now being grown in a lab in West Sacramento

West Africa produces roughly 2/3 of the world's cocoa and lost up to 40% of its harvest across two seasons, which is why chocolate is now being grown in a lab in West Sacramento

In a 12,000-square-foot facility in West Sacramento, a startup called California Cultured has been growing cocoa without soil, without trees, and without West Africa. The process uses plant cell culture: cocoa cells taken from a single cacao plant are placed in nutrient-rich bioreactors where they divide, mature, and can be harvested within three to four days, then fermented, dried, and processed into cocoa powder. Founded in 2020 by CEO Alan Pe…