# Cacao Institute of Bahia

> research institute

**Wikidata**: [Q51508899](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q51508899)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cacao-institute-of-bahia

## Summary

The Cacao Institute of Bahia (Instituto do Cacau da Bahia) is a Brazilian research institute dedicated to cacao research, located in Salvador, Bahia. Established as a specialized research organization focused on cacao cultivation and production, the institute serves as a center of scientific investigation into cacao agriculture, representing a dedicated engine of discovery for one of Brazil's most significant agricultural commodities.

## Key Facts

- **Official Name:** Instituto do Cacau da Bahia (Cacao Institute of Bahia)
- **Aliases:** Instituto do Cacau da Bahia, ICB, Instituto do Cacau, Instituto de Cacau da Bahia
- **Location:** Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- **Headquarters Address:** Avenida da França, s/n, Salvador
- **Headquarters Building:** Edifício-sede do Instituto do Cacau da Bahia
- **Geographic Coordinates:** -12.968111111111 latitude, -38.510527777778 longitude
- **Field of Work:** Cacao research and investigation
- **Organizational Classification:** Research institute
- **Country:** Brazil

**Identifiers:**

- Wikidata Entity: Q31855
- VIAF ID: 136091365
- GND ID: 5095808-2
- Library of Congress Authority ID: n84099334
- National Library of Brazil ID: 000244750

**Distinctions:**

- Different from Edifício do Museu do Cacau (Cacao Museum Building)

**Image Reference:**

- Commons file: Edifício-sede do Instituto do Cacau da Bahia

**External References:**

- IPAC Bahia Heritage Database: http://patrimonio.ipac.ba.gov.br/bem/instituto-do-cacau-da-bahia

## FAQs

### Q: What is the primary function of the Cacao Institute of Bahia?

A: The Cacao Institute of Bahia functions as a dedicated research institute whose primary purpose is conducting systematic investigation into cacao cultivation, production, and related agricultural sciences. Unlike universities that combine teaching with research, or companies that pursue research for commercial ends, this institute exists purely to generate new knowledge about cacao through scientific inquiry.

### Q: Where is the Cacao Institute of Bahia located?

A: The institute is headquartered in Salvador, the capital city of Bahia, Brazil, situated in the Edifício-sede do Instituto do Cacau da Bahia building located on Avenida da França. The institution occupies a significant position within Bahia's agricultural research infrastructure.

### Q: How is the Cacao Institute of Bahia classified in knowledge systems?

A: The institute is classified as a research institute (schema.org/ResearchOrganization) and appears across multiple library and knowledge organization systems. It carries identifiers including VIAF 136091365, GND 5095808-2, Library of Congress authority ID n84099334, and National Library of Brazil ID 000244750.

### Q: What distinguishes the Cacao Institute of Bahia from similar organizations?

A: The institute is specifically differentiated from the Edifício do Museu do Cacau (Cacao Museum Building), which serves a different cultural and educational purpose. As a dedicated research institute, it focuses exclusively on scientific investigation rather than public education or museum functions.

### Q: What makes the Cacao Institute of Bahia significant to Brazil's agricultural sector?

A: The institute represents critical infrastructure for advancing knowledge in cacao agriculture—a sector of substantial economic importance to Bahia and Brazil. By concentrating resources and scientific talent purely on cacao research, the institute accelerates breakthroughs in cacao cultivation, disease resistance, and production quality without the distraction of teaching obligations that divide attention at universities.

## Why It Matters

The Cacao Institute of Bahia matters because it represents dedicated research infrastructure for one of Brazil's most historically and economically significant agricultural commodities. Cacao cultivation has deep roots in Bahian agriculture, and the institute serves as a specialized center for advancing scientific understanding of cacao biology, cultivation techniques, and production optimization.

As a pure research institute, the Cacao Institute of Bahia occupies a distinct niche in Brazil's knowledge-producing landscape. Unlike universities that must balance teaching responsibilities with research, or commercial enterprises driven by market demands, the institute can pursue long-term, fundamental scientific inquiry into cacao agriculture. This focus enables investigation of complex problems—from pest management to climate adaptation—that might not fit within university semester timelines or corporate quarterly reporting cycles.

The institute's existence reflects Brazil's recognition that specialized research infrastructure is essential for maintaining competitive advantage in agricultural commodities. Cacao production faces ongoing challenges including disease, climate variability, and market competition, and dedicated research institutes provide the sustained scientific attention these challenges require. By maintaining focus on cacao specifically, the institute develops deep institutional expertise that generalist research organizations cannot match.

Furthermore, the Cacao Institute of Bahia contributes to the global network of agricultural research institutions working to advance food security and sustainable agriculture. Cacao is a globally traded commodity with significant economic implications for producing regions, and specialized research institutions like this one play crucial roles in developing improved varieties, sustainable practices, and resilience strategies.

## Notable For

- Dedicated exclusively to cacao research activities, distinguishing it from hybrid organizations that combine research with teaching or commercial functions
- Located in Salvador, Bahia—one of Brazil's historically significant cacao-producing regions
- Classified under multiple international knowledge organization systems including VIAF, GND, Library of Congress, and National Library of Brazil
- Distinguished from the Edifício do Museu do Cacau, which serves as a cultural museum rather than research facility
- Representing a specialized research organization focused on a specific agricultural commodity rather than broad scientific disciplines
- Carrying official identifiers across multiple national and international library and authority systems
- Situated in a purpose-designed headquarters building (Edifício-sede do Instituto do Cacau da Bahia) in Salvador

## Body

### Classification and Identification

The Cacao Institute of Bahia is formally classified as a research institute under multiple knowledge organization systems. In the Library of Congress classification system, it carries the authority ID n84099334. The German National Library assigns it GND ID 5095808-2, while the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) records it under ID 136091365. The National Library of Brazil maintains record 000244750 in its catalog.

For geographic identification purposes, the institute's location is recognized through coordinate data: latitude -12.968111111111 and longitude -38.510527777778, placing it precisely in Salvador, Bahia. This positioning reflects the institute's integration into Bahia's agricultural research infrastructure and its accessibility to the state's cacao-producing regions.

### Location and Facilities

The institute is headquartered in the Edifício-sede do Instituto do Cacau da Bahia (Headquarters Building of the Cacao Institute of Bahia), located on Avenida da França in Salvador. This dedicated facility distinguishes the institute from the Edifício do Museu do Cacau (Cacao Museum Building), which is a separate cultural institution focused on public education about cacao rather than scientific research.

The building's specific address at Avenida da França, s/n (sem número, meaning unnumbered) places it within Salvador's urban fabric, accessible to researchers, industry stakeholders, and agricultural professionals. The coordinates indicate a location in the central metropolitan area of Salvador, the largest city in Bahia and a major urban center in northeastern Brazil.

### Organizational Identity

The institute operates under several name variations in official records and references: Instituto do Cacau da Bahia (the primary Portuguese name), ICB (common abbreviation), Instituto do Cacau, and Instituto de Cacau da Bahia. This naming flexibility reflects standard practices in Brazilian institutional nomenclature, where institutions may be referenced by full formal names or common abbreviations.

Its field of work centers specifically on cacao—the scientific investigation of Theobroma cacao, the plant species from which chocolate is derived. This specialization distinguishes the institute from general-purpose agricultural research centers, allowing focused expertise on cacao-specific challenges including cultivation techniques, pest management, post-harvest processing, and quality optimization.

### Relationship to Related Entities

The Cacao Institute of Bahia maintains a distinct identity separate from the Edifício do Museu do Cacau, which functions as a museum rather than a research facility. This distinction is important for researchers and knowledge organization systems, as it clarifies the institute's operational purpose: generating new scientific knowledge about cacao through systematic investigation, rather than preserving and exhibiting historical artifacts or educating the general public.

The institute's classification as a research institute aligns with the broader category definition: an organization whose primary purpose is conducting research, existing specifically to generate new knowledge through systematic investigation. This classification differentiates the institute from universities (which combine teaching and research), scientific societies (which are membership-based organizations), and think tanks (which focus primarily on policy-oriented research).

### Documentation and Authority Records

The institute appears in multiple international authority databases, reflecting its recognition within global knowledge organization systems. Its VIAF identifier (136091365) links it to international authority files, enabling accurate citation and cross-referencing across library catalogs worldwide. The GND identifier (5095808-2) provides integration with German-language library systems and international cataloging standards.

The Library of Congress authority ID n84099334 establishes the institute's presence in the world's largest library catalog, while the National Library of Brazil ID 000244750 documents its position within Brazil's national bibliographic infrastructure. These multiple identifiers ensure that researchers, librarians, and information systems can accurately locate and reference the institute's contributions to cacao research.

### Historical and Cultural Context

Bahia has historically been one of Brazil's primary cacao-producing states, with cultivation concentrated in the southern regions of the state where climate conditions favor Theobroma cacao. The establishment of a dedicated research institute in Salvador reflects the economic and agricultural importance of cacao to the regional economy.

The institute contributes to Brazil's agricultural research infrastructure, which includes specialized institutions focused on various commodities including cacao, coffee, sugarcane, and other crops significant to Brazilian agriculture. This specialization allows for deep expertise development in commodity-specific challenges that generalist research institutions cannot provide.

### Research Functions

As a dedicated research institute, the Cacao Institute of Bahia exists to generate new knowledge about cacao through systematic investigation. This function places it within the category of organizations that serve as "dedicated engines of discovery, free from the teaching obligations that divide university researchers' attention."

The institute's research focus enables scientists to pursue investigations that might not fit within university timelines, including long-term studies of cacao cultivation, variety development, disease resistance, and sustainable production practices. This dedicated attention to cacao-specific research problems addresses the complex challenges facing cacao-producing regions, including disease management, climate adaptation, and quality optimization.

## References

1. [Source](http://patrimonio.ipac.ba.gov.br/bem/instituto-do-cacau-da-bahia)
2. Virtual International Authority File