An article in the New York Times reports on outcomes of the World Cocoa Conference which include a push to grow cocoa in a more sustainable way and develop methods for boosting production.

West Africa now produces 70 per cent of the world’s cocoa, but the proliferation of farms in countries such as Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana is contributing to deforestation.

Unlike Latin America, where cocoa is traditionally grown under a canopy of forest, in West Africa land is often cleared for its production. By growing cocoa under trees, they are shaded and can absorb more nutrients.

Businesses, farmers, government and non-governmental organizations are now joining forces to improve production, with new partnerships forming that aim to benefit all.

Among these is a partnership between the World Agroforestry Centre and Mars Incorporated that will see a laboratory established in Ivory Coast to provide a genetic seed bank for growing new, strong cocoa trees.

To improve the health of cocoa trees, younger trees are being grafted onto the trunks of older plants, producing many more cocoa pods resulting in less land being needed to produce the same amount or even more cocoa.

The world’s demand for chocolate is increasing and to meet that demand amid the pressures of climate change, population growth and scarcer resources will require even more innovation.

Read the full story: Reshaping the Future of Cocoa in Africa