system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 Why are coca plants only grown in South America & not in controlled environments throughout the rest of the world?
gpt
Coca is somewhat like coffee growing. It needs very specific conditions to grow and a lot of space, thats why you see coffee grown only in certain areas. Coca needs a high altitude jungle weather (not that unlike coffee) and it also needs a lot of space, you've got to grow a ton of it to make it worthwhile.

It also needs to be done cheaply, and under the radar from authorities (or corrupt authorities), which means places like Colombia and Bolivia are often great spots for this.  Farmers can grow large amounts of it deep in the jungle, get paid nearly nothing, and it can be done quietly. Coca farms seriously get absolutely screwed

It could certainly be grown in other places such as parts of Vietnam or Indonesia, but that has many more issues as drug enforcement for hard drugs is often extremely harsh, so it is far more risky for anyone involved in growing or distributing it. Distributing it is even more important than growing it. You've got to get it where it needs to go... without getting caught. That can be very hard in most of the world

Lastly, the best market in the world for cocaine is in the US, so having somewhat close proximity into the US from South America is great.