As part of CGTN's special series Inside El Niño, this report turns to Brazil's historic cocoa-growing region of Bahia, where producers are closely watching a strong El Niño take shape in the Pacific after the last major event devastated harvests with severe drought. On traditional farms where cocoa has been cultivated for generations under the shade of the Atlantic Forest, the crop's sensitivity to dry spells means any disruption during its long production cycle can sharply reduce yields and hit farmer livelihoods hard. While the industry continues to manage the lingering effects of past fungal outbreaks that once cut production dramatically, researchers are advancing drought-tolerant varieties and shifting cultivation toward drier areas as a long-term strategy for crop security. With Brazil aiming to supply quality specialty cocoa and chocolate to growing markets such as China, the stakes extend beyond local plantations to global supply chains and the economic resilience of the communities that depend on this climate-vulnerable crop.