Researchers from across the world are currently examining ways to surmount the challenges of climate change and ageing cocoa plantations, among others, that stair the sector in the face. They are also looking for ways of coming up with adaptable cocoa species that can stand the test of time and give the sector its pride of place position in the countries' development plans.

The 17th International Conference on Cocoa Research began in Yaounde yesterday Monday October 15 on the theme, "Improving the profitability of small and medium-sized farms: The principal key to a global sustaining cocoa economy." According to the programme, researchers are between October 15 - 20 holding scientific conferences to look at the different practices in cocoa production, the impact of climate change, the need to prolong the lifespan of a cocoa plant and the possibilities of using agro-forestry in cocoa farming as well as ways of efficiently fighting against pests and other diseases that frequently attack the cash crop. Socio-economic factors that mare the profitability of the sector, agricultural policies that can benefit small and medium-size farmers as well as practices and strategies that can step up cocoa products and by-products, are also among the over 160 presentations at the conference. Genetics and breeding, agronomy, agro forestry, physiology, soils and nutrition; pests and diseases and new and non-traditional uses of cocoa are being discussed at length.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Cameroon's Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, said efficient cocoa research is indispensable for boosting the sector. "World cocoa is faced with so many problems ranging from the environment, genetics and marketing and it is necessary for research to come up with solutions without which the future of cocoa will be compromised," he said. Like the Secretary General of the Alliance of Cocoa Producing Countries (COPAL), Nanga Coulibaly, Prof. Paul Hadley, of the University of Reading and President of the organising committee, said the Yaounde confab offers the opportunity for researchers to share experiences to redress the growing challenges.

Yesterday's opener was preceded by the closing of the 75th General Assembly and golden jubilee celebrations of COPAL last Friday October 12 which came up with wide-ranging resolutions. Among them, the need for COPAL to take control of the market pricing for cocoa in order to relief farmers from poverty, create a forum for all private sector actors in cocoa producing countries to control the value chain as well as promote downstream processing of cocoa. Africa, it was disclosed, produces more than 75 per cent of the world's cocoa but consumes only 3.3 per cent owing to not-so-efficient and below level local processing.