FOR SOME, it’s the language of love during Valentine’s Day and accompanies a bouquet of red roses. For others, it satis- fies a craving for something rich or sweet. But the smooth, dark chocolate that is beautifully drizzled over fruit this time of the year or that delicately coats your favorite treat has a troubled beginning. Far from the small chocolate shops that house cases full of flavored truffles and bonbons found in most U.S. cities, cacao farmers in West Africa work to etch out a living — many living on a subsistence-level income of $1 a day. The cacao tree prefers rich, well-drained soils (often scarce in the tropics) and requires heat and humidity, only growing in a narrow band within about 18 degrees north and south of the equator. By using modern agricultural practices, experts say farm- ers could easily triple yields of the cacao tree from the global average of about 460 kilograms of cacao bean per hectare (405 pounds per acre) to 1,500 kilograms per hectare (1322 per acre). As a result, their income could also triple. Supply and Demand Factors But with increasing yields comes a larger supply, which might be good for consumers; however, this ultimately reduces the price farmers receive for their goods. After years of stagnant growth, demand is finally going up. Early last year, prices hit a four-year low due to an abundant supply and weakening demand. CNBC reported that benchmark cocoa futures on the Intercontinental Exchange in New York hit $2,052 per metric ton Feb. 3, 2017, the lowest level since March 2013. Experts said this was due in part to good weather in major production areas. Annual production is about 4 million tons. West Africa, the hub of global cocoa production, is planted with about 6 million hectares (about 14.8 million acres) of cocoa, contributing 70 percent of total world production. The biggest producers are Côte d’lvoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. While demand in North America and Europe remains mostly stagnant, “demand for chocolate in Asia has been going up and continues to go up,” says Harold Poelma, Cargill’s president of cocoa and chocolate business. “Barring any major disruptions, we should have pretty decent growth this year.” According to EuroMonitor International, Asia Pacific con- tinues to be the strongest market for cacao ingredients, with a COLLABORATIONS WORK TO RAISE THE BOX Public and private entities come together to improve the production of cacao. Julie Deering jdeering@issuesink.com 6 / SEEDWORLD.COM FEBRUARY 2018