Del grano al conocimiento: Un análisis bibliométrico de la investigación sobre Theobroma cacao L. vinculada a Ecuador

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is an economic, ecological and cultural pillar in Ecuador, internationally recognised for its fine aroma cocoa and the emblematic Nacional variety. In this study, a bibliometric analysis of 319 scientific documents indexed in Scopus (1995–2025) was carried out using the PRISMA protocol. The results reveal exponential growth in scientific production since 2015, with 86.6% of publications concentrated in the last decade. The research is structured around five thematic areas: (1) varieties, highlighting the CCN-51 clone and fine aroma cocoa, (2) environmental aspects, including climate change, agroforestry, and cadmium contamination, (3) technological processes, with an emphasis on fermentation and bioeconomy, (4) social dimensions, addressing sustainability, chakra systems, and governance, and (5) plant health, focusing on the biocontrol of Moniliophthora roreri. The institutions with the highest output are ESPOL, UTEQ and UTM, while the most active international collaborations are with Spain, the United States, France and Colombia. Among the most influential articles are those on cadmium accumulation in grains, the domestication of cocoa in the Ecuadorian Amazon 5,300 years ago, the genetic characterisation of CCN-51, and the role of microbiota in fermentation. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified four emerging clusters: agroforestry landscapes and ecosystem resilience, microbiology and fermentation, soil dynamics and cadmium contamination, and agroecology with a socio-economic focus. In general, cocoa research in Ecuador has shifted towards interdisciplinary approaches that integrate biotechnology, germplasm conservation, environmental sustainability, and social justice, consolidating the country as a global benchmark in innovation and transition towards resilient and circularly sustainable production systems