Cacao tree

Cocoa Sustainability and Farmers’ Empowerment

The challenges W. African cacao farmers face can be overcome or at least softened by the measures presented below in this article. Empowering Farmers through Direct Sourcing and Fair Trade […]

Cocoa Farmers’ Livelihood Challenges in West African

1. Cocoa’s Bitter Reality The reality behind a very popular product: Cacao The largest cocoa-producing countries Over 90% of the world’s cocoa comes from an estimated 5 to 6 million smallholder […]

Why Ghanaian Cocoa Farmers turn towards Sustainable Agriculture Practices

Ghana, one of the biggest producers of cocoa worldwide, is confronted with growing environmental and social issues because of traditional cocoa cultivation methods. However, cocoa growers in Ghana are beginning […]

Cacao Certification as a driving force for adopting Improved Farming Technologies in Ghana, Africa

Contributing Authors: Nathaniel Mensah Sakyi and Ebenezer Owusu Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Nat Owusu Prempeh What cacao certification is all about? Cacao certification tells the story behind the cacao product […]

Cacao production: Challenges and Management Strategies

Cocoa has long been an important economic commodity in Ghana and a major source of revenue and export (Okyere & Mensah, 2016). The cocoa business employs around 2 million people […]

Cacao Variety Selection and Propagation – What are the 3 major variety of cacao?

Three main varieties of cacao have been identified. Their names are Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario (Minimal et al., 2019). The Forastero has a milder flavor than the Criollo but is […]

Cacao Soil requirements and Planting distances

Cocoa is grown on many soil types. Cacao trees are more susceptible to moisture stress than many other tropical plants. In addition, cacao trees suffer from waterlogging (Anim-Kwapong & Frimpong, […]

Water needs and Irrigation of Cacao

The high average annual rainfall ranges from 78 – 216 cm (31 – 85 inches) in Ghana, unevenly distributed in most years. Coupled with the high evapotranspiration and loss by […]

Cacao Fertilization and Nutrient Requirements

Modern cocoa farming aims to maximize early growth and achieve high initial yields and later sustained peak yields. To achieve this, one must have a good understanding of the factors […]

Cacao Plant Protection – Major Stresses, Disease and Pest of Cacao

]Over the next 30 years, it is expected that cocoa-growing areas may decrease by up to 20–30% globally. This is because cacao plant is already finding it difficult to survive […]