Cocoa production in the 2020s: challenges and solutions

Abstract Background Cocoa ( Theobroma cacao L.) is a crop of huge economic significance worldwide and is grown mainly in tropical and subtropical countries. Currently, West Africa produces most of the world's cocoa. The crop provides economic support to cocoa-growing countries, smallholder farmers, and the chocolate confectionery industries. Cocoa is also valued for its appealing flavours and the health-promoting properties of the bioactive phytochemicals in the beans, which have received increased global attention in recent years. Main body The cocoa industry is divided into two sectors: upstream (cocoa bean production and marketing), which is dominated by cocoa-producing countries, and downstream (cocoa bean processing activities to produce semi-finished and finished products). Pests and diseases, climate change, low soil fertility, high soil cadmium levels, and the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict threaten the crop's long-term production. In addition to these challenges, cocoa cultivation also contributes to environmental and biodiversity degradation. Conclusion To address these challenges and ensure a sustainable supply of high-quality cocoa beans to meet the rising global demand, sustainable intensification of its production in producing countries is deemed critical. These include breeding varieties that are resistant to yield-limiting factors, the use of integrated management strategies to improve soil fertility and control pests, diseases, and heavy metals like Cd, the implementation of agroforestry systems, increased farm gate prices, and the provision of social interventions such as alternative livelihoods for farmers to increase cocoa production on existing farmlands. Standardized and harmonized farm management and postharvest strategies are also required for the consistent production of high-quality beans each season.