Vassoura de bruxa, or witches’ broom, is a fungal disease that devastated cocoa plantations across Brazil’s main growing regions during the 1980s. The pathogen causes abnormal branching in cacao trees, creating dense clusters of shoots that resemble traditional brooms, while severely reducing or eliminating pod production.
The epidemic transformed Brazil from one of the world’s leading cocoa exporters into a net importer, with production in Bahia state collapsing by more than 70 per cent. Entire farming communities dependent on cocoa cultivation faced economic ruin, prompting mass migration from rural areas. Research efforts have since focused on developing resistant cacao varieties and understanding the pathogen’s spread mechanisms, though recovery remains incomplete decades after the initial outbreak.
