Politics and pleasure make a potent cocktail that can desecrate a nation and all things we hold sacred. The history and story of cocoa is a good example.

We binge on processed and packaged chocolates but know little of its origins.

Cocoa was revered in the civilisations of Central and South America more than 2000 years ago. It flourished then in the rainforests west of the Andes mountains.

It was the food of gods and was important in spiritual ceremonies. Cocoa was valued as a symbol of sanctity, prosperity and fertility in Central America.

It was also a drink that healed the mind and body. It was one of the most valued items of trade and was even used as currency. But the Mayans sustained the spiritual significance of cocoa despite it being traded.

Aztec cocoa reverence

After the decline of the Mayan civilisation, the Aztecs still retained the sanctity of cocoa.

However, from the 1400s, marauding Spanish colonisers who took control of the Americas brought politics and pleasure to cocoa and destroyed its sense of sanctity. The Spanish conquerors took sacks of cocoa beans to Europe.

Together with the cocoa beans, the Spanish conquistadors brought tales of the healing and aphrodisiac properties of the valuable beans. After being fermented and roasted over fire, the beans were crushed with spices and flowers then drunk at celebrations and during rituals.

Cortez, the Spanish conqueror who took home gold and silver from Central America also brought the luxurious indulgence cocoa, a cure-all and aphrodisiac.

European missionaries imposed their Eurocentric views on the converted indigenous population. Chocolate drinking was banned in the newly-established Mexican churches as it was thought to make people "high".

In Europe, for years cocoa was considered very special, expensive and a luxury only indulged by nobility and the wealthy. In Britain, however, specialist shops or chocolate houses for cocoa drinking flourished. The Cocoa Tree was well known as poets, historians and socialites indulged in the new, expensive and exotic habit of cocoa drinking.

The value of cocoa did not escape the revenue seeking eyes of the British government, which soon highly taxed the lucrative luxury. Shades of the GST, perhaps?

The commercial value of cocoa was fast recognized and cocoa was transformed from a spiced ritual potion to a hot milk chocolate drink and soon to mass-produced chocolate in different shapes and sizes and wrapped in coloured foils, filled with nuts, sweets, fruits and packaged in attractive boxes.

Chocolate economics

Economics, expansion, globalisation and industrialisation brought this phenomenal change to cocoa that lost its spiritual significance. When a nation's culture and natural resources are commoditised and commercialised, the nation loses the purity, spiritual significance and values of its diversity as we can see from the story of cocoa.

The European colonial powers -Britain, Portugal and Spain-brought cocoa to Africa and Southeast Asia as their ships plied across oceans selling guns, slaves, sugar, coffee and cocoa. The exotic tree with a valuable fruit from Central America was introduced into lands occupied by colonial powers.

Cocoa lost its sanctity and purity when it was introduced as a cash crop into the oppressive of agriculture- plantation agriculture- that took away choice lands, brought in slave labour, chemicals and pesticides.

While cocoa trees were tended with care and love by indigenous communities in Central and South America, plantation owners douse them with fertilizers and pesticides for high yields and profit maximisation.

Cocoa brought many social changes in West Africa. Farmers switched from growing crops for their food security to production of cocoa for the outside world.

Cocoa became inextricably linked to the global economy. Prices of cocoa were fixed in capitals in London, New York and Chicago. Local farmers became dependent on the world market for their income. Workers and farmers in West Africa and Malaysia were at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

In Malaysia NONE , I have heard stories from farmers in Perak that villagers cut down their banana plants to grow cocoa when its price soared in the 1980s. But when the price of cocoa fell dramatically, farmers realised they did not have bananas from their garden to eat nor the money to buy them!

Between 1981-1985, Malaysia introduced the Cocoa Development Plan particularly in Sabah where large cocoa plantations have flourished with migrant labour.

Like in West Africa, cocoa has brought social changes to Sabah and Sarwak. Deforestation, opening of large land schemes and resettling of communities for production of cocoa for the world markets are factors contributing to negative effects for people and nature.

While politics and power drive economic development and expansion, advertising and marketing influence chocolate consumption. Our fascination and obsession with chocolates have much to do with advertising techniques. We ignore the fat, sugar and chemical residues in chocolates.

Promoted as sensual and romantic, women are the targets of chocolate advertising worldwide. Advertisers have succeeded as it appears, women consume more chocolates than men.

But when fat and sugar is taken away, the pleasure from that bite into the chocolate is missing. For the health and environmental conscious consumers, there are organic chocolates that are produced from cocoa grown without chemical inputs. Cocoa for gourmet chocolates are even sourced from cocoa trees that grow naturally in the forests in Ecuador.

Chocolates are the commonest gifts for all festivals in this country. Chocolates although available everywhere remain a luxury - particularly the better brands. Many of the workers who toil in cocoa plantations cannot afford the beautifully packaged chocolates.

When we bite into the chocolate, let us do so with consciousness. The indigenous communities of Central America took a holistic view of cocoa; there was respect for sanctity and sustainability.

JOSIE M FERNANDEZ is currently an Asian Public Intellectual Fellow, director of Philanthropy Asia, researcher and engages with Transparency International Malaysia in anti-corruption measures. An educationist, Josie moved on to citizen's advocacy as founder president of ERA Consumers and regional director (Asia Pacific) for Consumers International.

She holds a masters degree in development management from the Asian Institute of Management, Philippines. Working on sustainability, philanthropy and anti-corruption actions are some of her current passions besides writing.