Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s leading cocoa producer, accounts for roughly 40 % of global output and supports about five million people. However, erratic weather patterns and diminishing rainfall have begun to threaten its vital cocoa plantations.
- The country’s cocoa trees face water stress, with annual rainfall dropping to around 1,100 mm—well below the 1,200‑2,000 mm they need.
- Researchers at the National Center for Agronomic Research (CNRA) are developing bean varieties that are less sensitive to water availability.
Geneticist Caudou Trebissou explained the breeding process: “We take flowers from male parents, pollinate female parents, and select their offspring for testing. The seedlings are evaluated in greenhouses under varying water‑stress conditions.” So far, the team has identified 11 “satisfactory” varieties slated for eventual release.
Farmers are already seeing the effects. Kofi Alexis Amani, whose trees have wilted in recent years, notes that “when it doesn’t rain, the branches are dry, the leaves curl up and the pods are small.” Anselme Kouakou, a neighboring grower, reports stunted growth and poor pod development.
CNRA agronomist Maryse Assi highlights additional consequences: “Soil fertility declines, and essential minerals become inaccessible to the plants.” She adds that water shortages also cause delayed or reduced flowering.
To mitigate losses while scientific solutions mature, some farmers are intercropping cocoa with shade‑providing species such as cashew, iroko timber and banana. These companion trees help retain moisture and protect cocoa pods.
Yves Brahima Kone, head of the cocoa industry’s regulatory body, emphasized the urgency: “The future of our orchards lies in research.” Government projections warn that without intervention, cocoa production could fall by 20 % by 2050, affecting both local livelihoods and global chocolate markets—Europe alone imports about 70 % of Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa.