The AMAZCACAO project (full title: past and present domestication of fine and aromatic cocoa from the Amazon: palaeogenomic, genetic, biochemical and economic approaches) has just been awarded to Claire Lanaud of the GS team following the call for proposals for the 2018 Montpellier University of Excellence (MUSE) research support programme.

AMAZCACAO is a continuation of ongoing work carried out within the framework of projects supported by the Agropolis Foundation. It concerns the study of fine cocoa beans, which represent a very important economic issue for some countries such as Ecuador and Venezuela. A multidisciplinary approach will be developed, focusing on aspects related to biodiversity in the Ecuadorian Amazon and its exploitation with the help of local populations, the history of the domestication of fine cocoa varieties studied by paleogenomics, and a better understanding of the genetic and biochemical basis of the aromatic quality of cocoa, including sanitary questions related to cadmium. This project, coordinated by the UMR Agap, also includes socio-economic aspects related to the cultivation of fine cocoa; it involves other UMRs in France, Kennesaw State University of Georgia in the USA, and in Ecuador INIAP, which is the key partner in the project, as well as several agricultural high schools and the Guayaquil Museum. Finally, several private partners are involved in the project. With a duration of 3 years and a total amount of 337 K€. The project includes a thesis grant.