News Agriculture Cocoa yields are mushrooming—downward By Janet Raloff September 17, 2002 at 5:01 pm - More than 2 years ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Hoping to preserve the world’s chocolate output, scientists have begun fighting fire with fire, so to speak—or in this case, fungus with fungus. Witches’ broom mushroom. Scott Bauer/ARS Until about 5 years ago, Brazil was the world’s second-leading exporter of cacao, the bean from which cocoa and chocolate are made.