Demand For Cocoa Research Articles

Complex cocoa agroforestry systems shaped within specific socioeconomic and historical contexts in Africa: Lessons from Cameroonian farmers

CONTEXTIn the humid tropics, the socioecological advantages of family-based, multistory agroforestry systems are well recognized. Yet public policies tend to focus on conservation and land-sparing strategies alongside the promotion of modern intensive agriculture, neglecting these biodiverse agroecosystems, which are in decline. This is a particularly central issue in cocoa cultivation. In Africa's two largest cocoa-producing countries (Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana), cocoa plantations with few associated trees contribute to deforestation and biodiversity loss. In contrast, in regions like Cameroon, biodiversity-rich cocoa agroforests prevail. Considering global changes and rising cocoa demand, it is crucial to preserve and develop these agroforestry systems that reconcile cocoa production with ecosystem services. OBJECTIVEThis study, conducted in Cameroon between 2013 and 2017, aimed to pinpoint the socioeconomic factors influencing the characteristics, maintenance, and degradation of cocoa agroforests, with the ultimate goal of identifying intervention strategies to promote their preservation and development. METHODSThe study collected data from (i) on-field measurements in 95 cocoa agroforestry plots, (ii) interviews with the 95 farmers managing the plots, and (iii) historical interviews with 50 key informants. We focused on five sites across a gradient of population density, encompassing various socioecological environments and types of cocoa agroforests. Through thematic and statistical analyses, we evaluated differences between the five sites. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSOur results indicated contrasting management practices, dendrometric structure, species composition, and cocoa yields between sites. These contrasts largely reflected socioeconomic factors and site-specific dynamics. Cocoa agroforests were less rich in biodiversity in sites where farmers with capital using hired labor had acquired land than in sites where family farmers predominated. A trade-off was found between the richness of companion trees and cocoa yields. Plots managed by smallholder family farmers near urban areas tended to better reconcile cocoa production and biodiversity conservation. These farmers had gradually transformed their traditional agroforests to adapt to increasing demographic pressure by integrating diverse fruit tree species, using pesticides sparingly, and introducing selected cocoa varieties mixed with older varieties. SIGNIFICANCEThe small-scale family-managed cocoa agroforests, which incorporate fruit species as described in this study, could serve as a model for a more sustainable cocoa production strategy. However, developing such a strategy would require greater investment and support from policymakers. This includes supporting the marketing of products from companion trees, stabilizing cocoa prices at a high level, and implementing land policies that protect small and medium-sized family farmers.

Land Suitability Evaluation of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Production Areas in Davao City, Philippines

With the growing demand for cocoa, local farmers and other key players of the cocoa industry were encouraged to boost production to secure supply. However, after many decades of cocoa production, soil fertility and available cultivation areas are shrinking. Land suitability evaluation was conducted in areas grown with cocoa in Davao City, Philippines to determine the current suitability and soil-related constraints for cocoa production intensification and expansion. Using the environmental lapse rate, temperature of the area was determined and suitability were evaluated using Food and Agriculture Organization framework with the aid of QGIS software. Based on the result, six soil series were identified as suitable for cocoa. These included the Cabantian, Bolinao (Inayangan), Bolinao (Paquibato), Miral, Tugbok and undifferentiated soil. Cabantian, Miral and Bolinao (Inayangan) were moderately suitable with limitations in slope and soil fertility. Bolinao (Paquibato) was moderately suitable with limitations in soil depth and sloping topography. Tugbok was marginally suitable due to low soil fertility and slight limitation in slope. Undifferentiated soil was moderately suitable with sloping topography, shallow depth and soil fertility constraints. The six suitable soil series had moderate to marginal limitations. The constraints to cocoa production are manageable to some extent.

TRAINING ON COMPOSTING COCOA LEAF WASTE (Theobroma cacao) IN WATES VILLAGE, Sumbergempol District, Tulungagung Regency

Chocolate (Theobroma cacao) is one of the largest plantation commodities in Indonesia. Along with the increase in cocoa exports, expansion of cocoa plantations was carried out to increase the number of exports and meet demand for cocoa in the domestic market. Wates Village, located in Sumbergempol District, is one of the villages that has a community-owned cocoa plantation. However, one of the problems faced by cocoa plantations is the large amount of leaf waste produced every day. Improper processing of cocoa leaf waste can cause environmental pollution. Based on this, education and training regarding making compost from cocoa leaf waste is needed for residents. With this guidance and training, it is hoped that residents will be aware of the negative impact of improper processing of cocoa leaf waste on the environment, and can utilize this waste into compost which will later be used to meet residents' fertilizer needs. Because the majority of residents in the village are farmers.

Growth and yield responses of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) to fungi arbuscular mycorrhizal biofertilizer prototypes with Different Spore Carrier Media and pruning

Bali is one of the organic cocoa producers in Indonesia, but its production has not met the national demand for cocoa. Bali is one of the cocoa producing centers is located in Buleleng Regency. In an effort to increase the growth and yield of cocoa plants, prototype mycorrhizal biofertilizers with different spore carriers can be used to improve soil fertility and cocoa productivity added with pruning treatment. This study aimed to determine the growth and yield response of cocoa to a prototype of mycorrhizal biofertilizer with different spore-carriers’ media and pruning. The study used a randomized block design with 2 factors and 6 replications. The results showed that the prototype of mycorrhizal biofertilizer with volcanic sand carrier media treatment gave the best results compared to others treatments. Pruning new shoots and the end of twigs 2-3 internode can provide the best growth and yield of cocoa. The interaction of mycorrhizal biofertilizer prototypes with different spore carrier media and pruning had a very significant effect only on leaf chlorophyll, leaf reducing sugar, and leaf sucrose content.

K-Means Clustering Algorithm Approach in Clustering Data on Cocoa Production Results in the Sumatra Region

Cocoa agricultural production in Indonesia is currently very low while demand continues to increase every year, so it is very important to build a model that can categorize cocoa farming data. The main objective of this research is to analyze agricultural data using data mining techniques that specifically use the K-Means Clustering algorithm, and Gaussian Mixture Models. In this research, we used quantitative research because it measure number-based data. The results of cocoa production so far still depend on land area, then the number of cocoa trees has a significant effect on the amount of production so it is very important for the government and researchers to develop technologies that can increase cocoa production yields where the demand for cocoa is currently very high in demand worldwide because it can classify the cocoa quality from good quality to poor quality. Based on testing the K-Means Clustering and Gaussian Mixture Model algorithms on data on cocoa production in four provinces, namely North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Lampung and Aceh which were optimized by the Silhouette method, it produced cluster values ​​of 2, 3 and 4. second with a value of 59.8%.

Contribution of cacao agroforestry versus mono-cropping systems for enhanced sustainability. A review with a focus on yield

The demand for cocoa has increased over the past years following the growth of cocoa-based products linked to the rise in living standard in highly populated countries. Cacao industry is therefore currently facing the dilemma of producing more cacao while ensuring its sustainability. Cacao monocrops and agroforestry systems (AFS) are two contrasting ways to produce cocoa, yet their impact on yields, contribution to farmer livelihood, cocoa quality remains understudied. Therefore, we reviewed existing literature comparing (1) monocrop cacao farming systems with (2) simple or (3) complex AFS. We found 19 comparisons of the cocoa yields in monocrops and simple AFS and 20 comparisons of monocrop and complex AFS. Three main research findings derive from this work. First, in about one third of cases, cacao trees yield more (or equally) in AFS than in monocrops. However, when considering only simple AFS, cacao trees yield more or equal to cacao monocrop in 52% of the cases. Second, cocoa AFS yields an average of 14% less than cacao monocrop. Yet, on average simple AFS yielded 2% less than cacao monocrops. Finally, there are too little elements to draw conclusions about the nexus between cocoa quality and cacao tree cultivation system.

Accounting for land use changes beyond the farm-level in sustainability assessments: The impact of cocoa production

Impact assessments are used to raise evidence and guide the implementation of sustainability strategies in commodity value chains. Due to methodological and data difficulties, most assessments of agricultural commodities capture the impacts occurring at the farm-level but often dismiss or oversimplify the impacts caused by land use dynamics at larger geographic scale. In this study we analyzed the impacts of two cocoa production systems, full-sun and agroforestry, at the farm-level and beyond the farm-level. We used life cycle assessment to calculate the impacts at the farm-level and a combination of land use modelling with spatial analysis to calculate the impacts beyond the farm-level. We applied this to three different future cocoa production scenarios. The impacts at the farm-level showed that, due to lower yields, cocoa agroforestry performs worse than cocoa full-sun for most impact indicators. However, the impacts beyond the farm-level showed that promoting cocoa agroforestry in the landscape can bring the largest gains in carbon and biodiversity. A scenario analysis of the impacts at the landscape-level showed large nuances depending on the cocoa farming system adopted, market dynamics, and nature conservation policies. The analysis indicated that increasing cocoa demand does not necessarily result in negative impacts for carbon stocks and biodiversity, if sustainable land management and sustainable intensification are adopted. Landscape-level impacts can be larger than farm-level impacts or show completely opposite direction, which highlights the need to complement farm-level assessments with assessments accounting for land use dynamics beyond the farm-level.

Deteminant factors to improve Indonesian cocoa performance

Encouraging the growth of Indonesia’s agricultural sector is important for improving the export performance of Indonesia’s leading commodities. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of the IDR exchange rate and the shock of the determinants of cocoa exports on the growth of Indonesian cocoa exports. The research was conducted using time series data from 1969-2017. This study uses the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). The analysis showed that the data is stationary at the first difference. The causality test shows that cocoa production, IDR exchange rate, GDP affect the growth of Indonesian cocoa exports, but world cocoa prices have no effect on cocoa exports. The results of the impulse response factor (IRF) analysis show that the response of cocoa exports to changes in the exchange rate is more volatile when compared to the response of production, GDP, and world cocoa prices to Indonesian cocoa exports. Analysis of variance decomposition shows that the contribution of the IDR exchange rate to export growth is greater than the contribution of world cocoa prices, GDP, and production at the beginning of exports, however over time the influence of the IDR exchange rate will decrease and it is the number of production factors that will affect Indonesia’s cocoa exports. Indonesia needs to increase production by maintaining the quality of cocoa according to export needs considering the demand for cocoa that will continue to increase. Bilateral or multilateral cooperation is needed to strengthen cocoa export cooperation with major importing.

Hand pollination, not pesticides or fertilizers, increases cocoa yields and farmer income

Increasing demand for cocoa and climate-related yield declines have sparked a multi-stakeholder debate on cocoa production strategies. Agrochemical inputs and pollination enhancement through hand pollination are two strategies to increase yields. Here, we test both strategies with field experiments in Indonesia. We show that even partial hand pollination (13% of easily accessible flowers/tree), and not fertilizers or insecticides, increases yield/tree by 51%. The more laborious 100% hand pollination of the entire tree increases yield/tree by 161%, and farmer’s annual net income from 994 USD/ha up to 1,677 USD/ha, or 69% in the study area, after accounting for farm operational, hand pollination labor, and opportunity costs. Thus, intensifying cocoa pollination appears to be a potential solution for closing cocoa yield gaps and should be considered in the current industry-led discussion of designing farms for mitigation of climate change.

Morphological characters of root and yield of three cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) clones in the field with dead-end trench

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a perennial crop originated from tropical regions, divided into Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario. Demand for cocoa has increased, but the productivity is still low. The increase in production could be achieved by improving crop management and using superior clones. RCC-70, RCC-71, and KKM-22 are recommended as the superior cocoa clones. Dead-end trench can reduce erosion and surface run-off as well as improve rooting and soil organic matter sequestration. The objectives of this research were to study the effects of dead-end trench application on morphological characters of roots and yields of three cocoa clones and to determine which cocoa clone(s) performed a signifificant yield increase with the application of dead-end trench. The research was conducted in August 2018–April 2019 at Pagilaran Ltd. cocoa plantation in North Segayung Production Unit, subdistrict Tulis, Batang, Central Java. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with two factors and three replications as block. The first factor was dead-end trench application (with and without dead-end trench application) and the second factor was cocoa clones (RCC-70, RCC-71, and KKM-22). This study showed that application of dead-end trench and clones significantly increased root fresh weight, root dry weight, seed fresh weight, and seed dry weight, but had no significant effect on fruit diameter, fruit length, root length, and root surface area. RCC-70 clone, coupled with the application of dead-end trench, resulted in the highest seed dry weight compared to RCC-71 and KKM-22 clones.

Cocoa beans and liquor fingerprinting: A real case involving SSR profiling of CCN51 and “Nacional” varieties

The worldwide demand for cocoa is rising but, in the supply chain, several cases of adulteration, usually of fine cocoa with bulk cocoa, are reported while industry requires cocoa stocks with constant aromas and quality. In cocoa chain, adulteration and lots misidentification can happen along the entire chain from the bean to the production of liquor. The availability of a DNA traceability system able to recognize the different cocoa varieties is something expected to have a big impact on cocoa sector. Several studies carried out at the laboratory level support the use of DNA in traceability but, clearly, the situation can change completely when moving from the lab to real cases. In the present paper, samples were recovered from big lots of beans and liquors provided by an Italian big brand. Two different cocoa types labelled as “Nacional” and “CCN51” from Ecuador have been examined; DNA was extracted from both beans and cocoa liquor and successfully amplified and examined by using cocoa reference SSR markers. Allele profiles revealed that “Nacional” is an admixture of several genotypes as confirmed also by single beans and leaves profiling. Contrary to Nacional, analyses suggest that CCN51 from Ecuador is characterised by a single diploid genotype. The comparison of CCN51 alleles with data present in databases revealed that misidentification is present also for this modern vegetatively propagated variety and that in different countries are present different CCN51. The production of artificial mixtures demonstrates that DNA markers are able to identify even small traces of unwanted genotypes. Finally, the results suggest that, while for Nacional DNA traceability is not feasible, because of the multigenotype nature of the variety, for CCN51 traceability is possible. However, before doing this, it is necessary to precisely define the genetic identity of CCN51 by comparing accessions coming from the different countries where it is present and cultivated.

Competitiveness and Determinant of Indonesian Processed Cocoa Demand in the AANZFTA Framework

Indonesia is one of the biggest producer of cacao beans in the world.Export tariff policy on cacao bean and countries trade agreement wasexpected can increase the processed of cacao export. This researchaims to analyze the competitiveness and the determinants of whichaffect the processed cacao export in AANZFTA Region countries.Based on RCA anaylsis, the processed cacao has been comparativeadvantage, and its EPD analysis show that Indonesia’s processedcacao mostly in falling star and retreat condition. The result ofregression analysis panel data showed that the export of cacao pastewas affected significantly by exchange rate, Indonesia’s exportcompetitiveness, and free trade area policy. Cacao butter was affectedsignificantly by exchange rate, Indonesia’s export competitiveness, andfree trade area policy. Cacao powder was affected significantly bygross domestic product total, exchange rate, Indonesia’s exportcompetitiveness, and free trade area policy.

Heavy metals content in soils and cocoa tissues in Magdalena department Colombia: emphasis in cadmium

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a species originating from the humid tropics. Over 70,000 km2 worldwide is dedicated to growing cocoa, and approximately 30% of its global production is concentrated in the equatorial regions of Central and South America, the Antilles and tropical Asia. The demand for cocoa is growing significantly, but the presence of cadmium (Cd) in the species is a potential problem limiting its commercialization. The present study determined the Cd, Ni, Pb and Cr content in two cocoa-producing regions in northern Colombia. Foliage (leaf, bean and shell) and soil were analyzed. The mean Ni, Pb and Cr content in the plant tissue did not exceed the maximum permissible limits set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The mean Cd content in the beans was 0.51 mg kg-1 in region 1 and 0.66 mg kg-1 in region 2, which are considered risky per reports from the European Union and restrict the product’s export. These results serve as a reference for future research on cocoa.

Climate-Smart Cocoa in Ghana: How Ecological Modernisation Discourse Risks Side-Lining Cocoa Smallholders

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) aims to transform and reorient farming systems to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, boost adaptive capacity, and improve productivity while supporting incomes and, ostensibly, food security. In Ghana – the world’s second biggest cocoa producer – the cocoa sector is challenged by increasing global cocoa demand, climate change impacts, as well as mounting consumer pressure over cocoa’s deforestation. Climate-smart cocoa (CSC) has emerged to address these challenges as well as to improve smallholder incomes. As with CSA more widely, there are concerns that CSC discourses will override the interests of cocoa smallholders, such as tenure rights, and lead to inequitable outcomes. To better understand if and how the implementation of CSC in Ghana can meet its lofty ambitions, we examine 1) the dominant CSC discourses as perceived by stakeholders, and their reflection in policy and practice, and 2) subsequent implications for cocoa smallholders through an equity lens. Through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders in Ghana’s cocoa sector, we find overwhelming consensus for an ecological modernisation discourse with the promise of a triple wins narrative that simultaneously stops deforestation, supports climate mitigation and adaptation, and increases smallholder livelihoods. Moreover, we find that implementing the CSC concept on the ground has generally converged around ‘sustainable intensification’ and private-sector-led partnerships that aspire to generate a ‘win-win’ for environment and productivity objectives, but potentially at the expense of delivering equitable outcomes that serve smallholders’ interests. We find that the success of CSC and the overly simplistic sustainable intensification narrative is constrained by the lack of clear tree tenure rights, complexities around optimal shade trees levels, potential rebound effects regarding deforestation, and the risks of agrochemical-dependence. Nevertheless, local governance mechanisms such as the Community Resource Management Area Mechanisms (CREMAs) may give cocoa smallholders a stronger voice to shape policy. However, we caution that the discursive power of dominant private sector actors may risk side-lining equity and challenges that could be detrimental to the long-term wellbeing of Ghana’s approximately 800,000 cocoa smallholders.

Roadmap of cocoa quality and authenticity control in the industry: A review of conventional and alternative methods.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) and its derivatives are appreciated for their aroma, color, and healthy properties, and are commodities of high economic value worldwide. Wide ranges of conventional methods have been used for years to guarantee cocoa quality. Recently, however, demand for global cocoa and the requirements of sensory, functional, and safety cocoa attributes have changed. On the one hand, society and health authorities are increasingly demanding new more accurate quality control tests, including not only the analysis of physicochemical and sensory parameters, but also determinations of functional compounds and contaminants (some of which come in trace quantities). On the other hand, increased production forces industries to seek quality control techniques based on fast, nondestructive online methods. Finally, an increase in global cocoa demand and a consequent rise in prices can lead to future cases of fraud. For this reason, new analytes, technologies, and ways to analyze data are being researched, developed, and implemented into research or quality laboratories to control cocoa quality and authenticity. The main advances made in destructive techniques focus on developing new and more sensitive methods such as chromatographic analysis to detect metabolites and contaminants in trace quantities. These methods are used to assess cocoa quality; study new functional properties; control cocoa authenticity; or detect frequent emerging frauds. Regarding nondestructive methods, spectroscopy is the most explored technique, which is conducted within the near infrared range, and also within the medium infrared range to a lesser extent. It is applied mainly in the postharvest stage of cocoa beans to analyze different biochemical parameters or to assess the authenticity of cocoa and its derivatives.

THE INFLUENCE OF COCOA PRICE VOLATILITY (Theobroma cacao L.) TO COCOA EXPORTS IN INDONESIA

Production or supply of domestic cocoa cannot fulfil the demand for cocoa in domestic and international markets. Furthermore, there were many old cocoa plants, damaged, unproductive and attacked by pests and diseases with mild, medium to serious condition in 2008. Cocoa production still depends on the weather, which can result in the undetermined change of cocoa price. This problem will fluctuate and if this happens continuously then volatility of cocoa price tends to be high. This research uses historical volatility method to measure the price volatility of cocoa in 2007 until 2016. It indicates that volatility of Indonesia cocoa price is high. In order to determine whether or not volatility of cocoa price affects Indonesian cocoa’s exports, stationary tests, cointegration tests and Error Correction Model (ECM) are used. Its result shows that cocoa price volatility and cocoa exports variable are cointegrated and they have negative relation both in the short term and long term. In addition, the variables of volatility cocoa and cocoa exports in Indonesia are out of equilibrium.

Modelo de transporte para la distribución de cacao en México


 
 
 El cacao es un producto originario de México cuya producción no satisface la demanda interna, por lo que existe la necesidad de importar gran parte de lo que consume el mercado mexicano, por lo anterior, resulta de gran importancia poder distribuir óptimamente las cantidades producidas internamente con la finalidad de minimizar los costos de trasporte del grano. Por lo tanto, el objetivo del presente trabajo de investigación fue formular un modelo de transporte que optimice la distribución del cacao en México minimizando el costo del transporte, tanto para una economía cerrada, como para una economía abierta. Se utilizó programación lineal para resolver el problema del transporte, ya que permite determinar la manera óptima de trasladar bienes, minimizando los costos totales de distribución. Los principales resultados muestran que el consumo aparente nacional, en 2015, fue de 51 394.13 t, el consumo aparente per cápita de cacao en el país fue de 0.43 kg. Los estados que pueden ver satisfecha totalmente su demanda de cacao, únicamente con el excedente de la producción estatal de Tabasco y Chiapas, son: Guerrero, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Campeche, Ciudad de México, Hidalgo, Estado de México, Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala y Yucatán; mientras que Michoacán puede obtener 14 de los 65 tráileres que demanda. Lo anterior conlleva a una minimización del costo de transporte, siendo este de $9 500 068.00. Para poder cubrir la demanda nacional de cacao se consideraron dos puertos de entrada para este cultivo y el costo mínimo de transporte fue de $18 123 640.00.
 
 

How Can the Environmental Efficiency of Indonesian Cocoa Farms Be Increased?

Increasing global cocoa demand in the new millennium has triggered farmers in developing countries to expand cocoa cultivation. A challenge is how to sustainably increase cocoa production without causing deforestation. We examine this trade-off around the Lore Lindu National Park in Indonesia and investigate the determinants of environmental efficiency by applying a distance output function that includes cocoa production and rainforest plant abundance. We analyze 208 cocoa producers' variables from 2015 using both measured and self-reported data. We find that cocoa intensification results in higher ecosystem degradation, and that producers in our sample display a 50% mean efficiency. This low value points to the increased infestation of cocoa pod borer and the failure of the Gernas government program. Increasing efficiency could lead to a win-win-win situation: higher cocoa production from fewer hectares, and with more native rainforest plants co-existing with cocoa on those hectares. On average, efficiency scores suggest that there is scope to expand production by 367 kg of cocoa per farm and year on the existing planted area, to increase rainforest plants per 5 ∗ 5 m area by 109 while maintaining existing areas and production levels, or to reduce acreage by 0.52 ha per farm without reducing production.

Glucocorticoid receptor-regulated TcLEC2 expression triggers somatic embryogenesis in Theobroma cacao leaf tissue.

Theobroma cacao, the source of cocoa, is a crop of particular importance in many developing countries. Availability of elite planting material is a limiting factor for increasing productivity of Theobroma cacao; therefore, the development of new strategies for clonal propagation is essential to improve farmers’ incomes and to meet increasing global demand for cocoa. To develop a more efficient embryogenesis system for cacao, tissue was transformed with a transgene encoding a fusion of Leafy Cotyledon 2 (TcLEC2) to a glucocorticoid receptor domain (GR) to control nuclear localization of the protein. Upon application of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (dex), downstream targets of LEC2 involved in seed-development were up-regulated and somatic embryos (SEs) were successfully regenerated from TcLEC2-GR transgenic flower and leaf tissue in large numbers. Immature SEs regenerated from TcLEC2-GR leaves were smaller in size than immature SEs from floral tissue, suggesting a different ontogenetic origin. Additionally, exposure of TcLEC2-GR floral explants to dex increased the number of SEs compared to floral explants from control, non-transgenic trees or from TcLEC2-GR floral explants not treated with dex. Testing different durations of exposure to dex indicated that a three-day treatment produced optimal embryo regeneration. Leaf derived SEs were successfully grown to maturity, converted into plants, and established in the greenhouse, demonstrating that these embryos are fully developmentally competent. In summary, we demonstrate that regulating TcLEC2 activity offers a powerful new strategy for optimizing somatic embryogenesis pipelines for cacao.

Trajectories of cocoa agroforests and their drivers over time: Lessons from the Cameroonian experience

Abstract Since its origins, cocoa growing has gone through a series of crises and booms, with a shift in production areas at the expense of tropical forests. Nowadays, the recent sharp rise in the global demand for cocoa more than ever calls into question the future of these forest resources. Nevertheless, in contrast with the dominant technical models, often unsustainable, part of global cocoa growing is based on complex agroforestry systems which are, in many cases, very old and still managed by farmers. To better understand the genesis and the functioning of these systems over time, we analysed the evolution of 30 cocoa agroforests, most of which were several decades old, located in central Cameroon. In this region, cocoa growing has been developing since the 1930s and experienced major changes in contexts, including the severe crisis of the 1990s. By combining field observations and historical survey data, we reconstructed the impacts of these changes over time on management practices, agroforestry structures and cocoa yields. We formalized five cocoa agroforests trajectories closely linked to main phases of cocoa growing in central Cameroon, each phase leading to changes in farmers’ practices. These trajectories explain the current agroforests structures, with low (1180 in. ha−1) or high cocoa tree densities (2190 in. ha−1), mean basal area per cocoa tree which ranged from 29.4 cm2 to 92.7 cm2, and finally cocoa yields which varied from 542.7 to 1275.7 kg ha−1. Our results show how the management of interacting species allows a system balance that can be temporarily broken or redesigned, suggesting the resilient and flexible nature of these complex cocoa agroforests. The properties of these cocoa agroforests—gradually built over time—enable adaptations and their transmission during difficult times. To cope with current challenges facing global cocoa production, we recommend that these cocoa agroforests serve as a basis to promote new cocoa cropping models to better reconcile cocoa production and the preservation of forest resources.