They spend their days cutting cocoa pods and carrying heavy buckets filled with cocoa beans.

Question

(cocoa pods vs. cacao pods/ cocoa beans vs. cacao beans/ Which expressions do we have to use? What is the difference between 'cocoa' and 'cacao'?

Answer 1

http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/theobroma/index.html

I'd use "cacao" for the plant and the pods, and "cocoa" for the product (the drink or chocolate itself).