Joselito Torres

Ecuadorian agronomist who developed disease-resistant cocoa varieties saving South America's chocolate industry

Joselito Torres (1910-1978) was an Ecuadorian agronomist whose groundbreaking research in the 1950s-60s revolutionized cocoa farming across Latin America. Facing the devastating Witches' Broom Disease epidemic that threatened to destroy Ecuador's cocoa industry, Torres spent over a decade developing disease-resistant hybrid varieties. His work at the Ecuadorian Cocoa Research Institute produced the CCN-51 variety, which became the backbone of modern chocolate production. Torres also pioneered integrated pest management techniques and extension programs that trained thousands of smallholder farmers in sustainable practices. His innovations saved over 100,000 jobs in Ecuador alone and transformed the region's cocoa exports, which now account for 20% of global fine flavor cocoa. Despite his scientific contributions, Torres remained deeply connected to farming communities, often working directly in the fields with growers. His methods are still taught at Universidad de las Andes's agricultural programs. Read about his work in Wikipedia's cocoa variety entry and explore his research papers at Scientific Electronic Library Online.