Ghanaian farmers alter cocoa planting patterns due to climate change

Cocoa farmers in Ghana are testing new ways of growing their crops as shifting weather patterns take a toll on yields.

Among them is Samuel Davor, a cocoa farmer in Sefwi Wiawso, a village in a forest in Ghana.

Still fit at the age of 67, he credits his good health to the daily labour in his cocoa garden, which spans the size of two football pitches.

Cocoa has a long way to go before it forms part of a bar of chocolate, starting out as large, yellow fruits on trees in a warm, humid atmosphere.

Davor cuts his fruit from branches high in the trees using a long stick with a sharp knife attached. Next he breaks open the fruit. Inside each are white, fluffy, slippery seeds.

These are cocoa beans, though they still need to ripen and dry before they turn brown and taste like chocolate.

The beans are then placed in large sacks and transported to warehouses then sold to Europe, where they are made into chocolate.

But his yields are falling. Davor harvested five sacks of cocoa beans last year, down from the nine he usually grew.

Changes in temperature and rainfall are making some areas of West Africa less suitable for cocoa cultivation.

Davor and other cocoa farmers are struggling as the rainy season often start earlier or later than in the past, affecting their cocoa trees which are producing less.

He is investing in new trees that won't get as sick as quickly and also planted larger trees in his cocoa garden, hoping they will provide shade for his crops if the sun is too strong.

The approach is one many other farmers are adopting, aided by Landscape Management Boards who teach farmers in Ghana's Sui River region to change how they cultivate cocoa.

They are increasingly planting shade trees, and also composting and conserving water, which are all helping boost productivity.

Davor also grows pineapples, plantains and oranges in his garden. And he keeps bees and chickens that he hopes he can earn more with, aided by a non-governmental organization.

Davor's daughter Regina, 18, helps with the harvest during the school holidays. She has almost finished school. She has nine brothers and sisters. Only two of them want to become cocoa farmers.

Many see the cocoa market as uncertain, even as prices rise, with only a small portion of the sum reaching growers.

In future, Regina hopes to work sewing clothes.

Restoring forests in Ghana

Forest restoration efforts are also under way in Ghana, with farmers planting trees to address areas where deforestation has led to water shortages, says Rainforest Alliance.

Local communities are also learning to set up tree nurseries, plant saplings and manage newly restored forest areas.

They are also working to monitor the trees planted to prevent them being claimed and cut down for profit, a problem in the past, according to Rainforest Alliance.

Most cocoa from Africa

Cocoa grows best around the equator and other major producers include Indonesia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ecuador and Brazil.

Although it originally comes from South America, most cocoa comes from Africa, especially Ivory Coast and Ghana which together make up more than 60% of the world's output.

Many are concerned about the next harvest in top grower Ivory Coast, due to the adverse effects of a prolonged dry spell.

Global cocoa prices are ebbing slightly since hitting a record in April as Christian parts of the world celebrated Easter with the giving of chocolate eggs and other treats.

Even with soaring prices, demand for cocoa is increasing. It is a small commodity market but has global implications on food and candy producers, and the retail industry.

Market observers see Brazil as a possible future cocoa supply leader, with farmer Moises Schmidt leading a major project in Bahia to create one of the world's largest and most advanced cocoa farms.