Production

ICCO's attention to cocoa production is the mirror image of its work on cocoa consumption. Issues such as the environment as well as economic and social sustainability play prominent roles in cocoa production. Cocoa is predominantly a smallholder crop, as more than 90% of world cocoa production originates from small farms. In Africa and Asia a typical smallholder cocoa farm covers only 2 to 5 hectares of land.

Trends in Production

An analysis of trends in production is included in the annual analysis on the world cocoa market (see above). Analyses of factors underlying the growth of cocoa production are hindered by a lack of knowledge of the available cocoa resources in cocoa producing countries. Such a lack of knowledge also limits the development of rational policies in cocoa producing countries. Hence the ICCO is encouraging producer countries to improve the basic knowledge of the cocoa resource base.

Sustainable Cocoa Production

This area comprises: production policies for sustainability, efforts to improve the functioning of the cocoa supply chain, preservation of the environment in cocoa production, diversification, etc. The Consultative Board is currently reviewing a number of project proposals which have been tailored to address the need to achieve sustainable cocoa production.

Pests and Diseases

Cocoa pests and diseases have a very negative effect on annual cocoa production, requiring much more natural resources (land) than would normally be the case without such losses. Resistant planting material can greatly reduce crop losses, as can best practice in farming techniques. Special efforts appear to be essential in order to prevent and contain the international and global spread of cocoa pests and diseases. For these reasons, the Secretariat is presently in cooperation with CABI International developing a project on prevention of and dealing with the spread of pest and diseases.

Costs of Cocoa Production

Acquiring a better insight into the costs of cocoa production, trade and exports in different countries and areas is under consideration by the Consultative Board on the World Cocoa Economy, as the Board views such information as one of the building blocks for a sustainable cocoa economy. In the meantime, the Common Fund has approved a project on an "analysis of the value chain" in cocoa producing countries. Practical preparations for conducting the analysis started in October 2006.