The Climate-smart Cocoa Agroforestry Research in Ghana (CLIMCARG) project has identified two climate-resilient cocoa varieties and three shade-tree species capable of thriving under changing climatic conditions while boosting productivity.
These discoveries mark a major milestone in the project’s efforts to enhance the sustainability and future resilience of Ghana’s cocoa sector.
Speaking at the closing workshop of the six-year project, the Principal Investigator, Prof. Victor Rex Barnes, highlighted the significance of these findings.
“So, these two varieties, Amazon and Hybrid B can tolerate higher temperatures and show some resistance to water stress. This means that even when weather conditions become extremely hot and dry, these varieties can help safeguard cocoa plants and sustain cocoa farms.
In addition to the cocoa varieties, we have also conducted extensive research on climate-smart shade trees commonly found in cocoa farms, such as Afram, Emery, and Konkroma. Our results indicate that Emery, Konkroma, and Odum possess notable levels of climate resilience,” he revealed.
Prof. Barnes added that cocoa farmers may begin to adopt these tree species to protect their farms, emphasising the need for collective effort to ensure that research findings are applied to strengthen the resilience of cocoa landscapes and improve farmers’ livelihoods in Ghana.
The project is a collaboration between Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana.
Representing the Ambassador of Denmark to Ghana, Dr. Finn Plauborg, a researcher at Aarhus University, underscored the motivation behind the initiative.
“I think every one of us understands the importance of cocoa to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Due to climate change, we found it necessary to support research in this area because many local communities are experiencing severe livelihood stress.
We estimate that about six million people in Ghana depend on the cocoa sector. If production declines or shifts away from Ghana because of climate change, we must urgently find solutions. Ghana is a very rich country with many resources, we simply need to utilize them more effectively,” he said.
The Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Prof. Dason Awunyo-Vitor, also underscored the relevance of the CLIMCARG initiative.
“The CLIMCARG project is a highly relevant intervention, particularly for cocoa farmers, as it engaged stakeholders and equipped them with knowledge to address the negative impacts of climate change on the cocoa industry.
I am hopeful that all participants present will contribute meaningfully to achieving the main objective of this project,” he stated.
The six-year project is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the DANIDA Fellowship Centre.
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