This practice has devastated large areas of the environment and has resulted in a harmful effect on cocoa tree production as well. Through preserving the natural shade of the area, the cocoa trees are able to absorb more nutrients from the soil as well as being sheltered from the stress of the burning sun. The loss of this forestland has eliminated a carbon sink, with has contributed to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide which traps heat in the atmosphere. Cocoa farmers face far more stress than just space though – in addition to this, they also struggle with basic agricultural training, a weak infrastructure and diseases such as black pod which threaten the condition of the trees. There are efforts being made to increase the production of cocoa so that there is less need for plantations and a healthier growth of cocoa trees.
One suggestion for a healthier production is tree grafting, which means splicing a new shoot on to a veteran tree in order to impart some of the healthy plant’s qualities. Such a strategy means that a once defunct tree can become laden with useable pods which not only means healthier trees but also deals with the space issue. This useful art is already widely used in Asia and could spark a great development in African farming as well. The world is in constant need of cocoa to feed the burgeoning chocolate industry, so the current farming techniques need to be addressed in order to produce cocoa in a healthier and more environmentally friendly way.