A heads up to Pinoy cacao growers out there. 

A recent article from New Scientist cited the problem the biggest cacao producers are facing right now.

With the way things are going, there might be an impending shortage in the supply of chocolates, which are produced by roasting and fermenting cacao beans.

West Afica supplies about 70% of the demand with Brazil coming in second place. But a  fungus called witches broom and the Cacao swollen shoot virus is affecting most of the farms and is touted to slash about a third of the harvest this spring.

This can be a prime opportunity for pinoy farmers to break into the cacao industry. Cacao can be grown in our climate and most farms in Davao have one or two in their backyard.

Pinoys however should learn from the problems of the cacao growers in Africa and Brazil  and wean away from monoculture.

Higher demand urged farmers in West Africa to cut down more and more trees, replacing them with cacao (same case with bananas here).  The problem with this kind of setup is you open yourself to the risk of more diseases and since there are no natural firewalls, a simple fungus could turn into a widespread epidemic. Add the fact that cacao trees thrive best in the shade of bigger trees.

We need to weigh the consequences of cutting down trees to fill them up with just one crop. We have to think also of sustainability, not only for us but also for our environment. Ayt mate?

Read more about the phenomenon here.