
Is All Cocoa Agroforestry Sustainable and Climate-Smart?
Central America grows less than 1% of the global cocoa production, but is seen as a high-potential region for fine… Read More
Climate Smart Cocoa developed a common strategy and clear investment pathways to increase industry engagement and investments in climate smart agriculture. The Program ended in 2020 and generated learnings that helped create and nurture the Cocoa & Forests Initiative.
Central America grows less than 1% of the global cocoa production, but is seen as a high-potential region for fine… Read More
Climate change is expected to impact the cocoa sector in West Africa and Latin America with consequences for millions of smallholder farmers national economies of cocoa producing countries, and the global cocoa/chocolate industry.
Recent studies show that land suitable for cocoa production will decrease significantly in the near future as a result of climate change. In some areas, longer or more intense dry seasons may adversely affect cocoa growing. Conversely, increases in rainfall and/or humidity levels in other areas may create ideal conditions for the spread of cocoa pests and diseases.
Ultimately, climate change threatens the health and nutrition of farmers who depend on income from cocoa to put food on the table. Cocoa farmers need to adopt climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices that foster resilience to climate change while sustainably increasing cocoa productivity. The private sector plays an integral part in the long-term sustainability of the cocoa sector and action is needed to further their investment and engagement in measures that will enable farmers and the industry to adapt to pressures from climate change.
Implementing partner: ACDI/VOCA (Liberia)
Funders: USAID, WCF member companies
Contributing Companies: Barry Callebaut; Cargill; Ecom; The Hershey Company; Lindt & Sprüngli; Mars, Incorporated; Nestlé; Olam; Touton
Central America will soon experience rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events (...). In this situation, growers’ vulnerability must be reduced in order to maintain risk at manageable levels.
Falguni Guharay Program Manager Latin America, Climate Smart Cocoa, World Cocoa Foundation Learn More