Organic cocoa cultivation

Amanda Berlan

• Publisher: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781838793692
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Sustainable Agriculture
• Index: Technology & Engineering

The last two decades have witnessed a dramatically increased demand for organically produced goods. As a crop, cocoa can be grown successfully using organic methods, and demand for organic chocolate has risen in line with the overall growth in the organic market. This chapter offers a summary of current issues in the production of organic cocoa. I discuss production trends, acknowledging some of the challenges in accurately monitoring such trends, before considering some of the issues surrounding different cultivation methods, and the certification and pricing of organic cocoa. Finally, the chapter considers different techniques for controlling pests and diseases without the use of chemical inputs. A number of conclusions are presented, such as the importance of farmer acceptance of methods, the need for integrated pest management strategies and the challenges of highly variable markets.

Table of contents

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Production trends in organic cocoa
• 3 Organic certification
• 4 Pricing issues in organic cocoa production
• 5 Organic yields and cultivation methods
• 6 Pest and disease management
• 7 Conclusions and future trends
• 8 Where to look for further information
• 9 References