Decoding Chocolate DNA

Mars will collaborate with the USDA and IBM for the Chocolate Genome Project, which aims to decipher the genetic structure of the cocoa tree. The five-year project is expected to aid breeding programs. "Ultimately improve [cocoa] trees, and yield higher quality cocoa and increase income for farmers," a Mars official said. The public would have free access to data from the research through the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture.