STRONGER COCOA TREES REDUCE VULNERABILITY FOR FARMERS IN WEST AFRICA

COUNTRY: West Africa Region
THEME: Research

West Africa is the source of 70 percent of the world's cocoa. But if someone asks a farmer in Cote d'Ivoire or Ghana where he got his cocoa trees, a likely response is "My parents planted them." While cocoa trees have a long and fruitful life, it is indisputable that the current tree stock is old and has become relatively low yielding. Couple this with threats from pests and diseases, especially the mid-90's fear of Witches' Broom disease spreading from Brazil, and it is not surprising that scientists specializing in cocoa have a growing concern for the future sustainability of the crop.

From this concern has grown an extensive research program to identify the most pest and disease resistant cocoa trees that could be made available for cocoa farmers in West Africa.

Mars' cocoa scientists have been working with a range of partners, including academic institutions such as the University of Reading (UK) and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) based in Younde, Cameroon, to facilitate research that can be shared throughout the West African region.

Breeding and identifying these varieties is a painstaking process that requires patience and attention to detail. Even when the results demonstrate progress, it is still necessary to find ways of sharing the knowledge on a wider basis so that it reaches farm level.

Indications are, however, that progress is being made. Viable planting material with a demonstrable resistance to pests and diseases and good yield potential is now available. Working with IITA and the Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP), it is reaching farmers at field level. Considering that there are estimated to be more than one million smallholders in West Africa, it will be a slow process, but the fight is on to protect African cocoa sources from old age and associated problems, and by so doing, to support African rural cocoa-farming livelihoods. There is every reason to be confident that improvements are being achieved.

Martin Gilmour, a cocoa scientist working for Mars, says "This work could really make a difference to productivity and yields for farmers, even those with very small farms as is most common in West Africa. The challenge is to get the findings of our research into the field quickly so that as many farmers as possible can benefit."

If this case study on research into cocoa was of interest, please click on the following link: "New Trees for Old as Abandoned Cocoa Farms Are Reclaimed."

Contact Us for more information.