{"id":17104,"date":"2026-06-20T12:55:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/research-put-into-action-can-double-cocoa-yield-in-africa-wcf-director\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T18:14:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T18:14:13","slug":"research-put-into-action-can-double-cocoa-yield-in-africa-wcf-director","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/research-put-into-action-can-double-cocoa-yield-in-africa-wcf-director\/","title":{"rendered":"Research put into action can double cocoa yield in Africa \u2013 WCF Director"},"content":{"rendered":"Paul Macek, Director of West Africa Programs of the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldcocoafoundation.org\/\">World Cocoa Foundation<\/a>\u00a0(WCF), speaking on behalf of President Richard Scobey, in a keynote talk during the Regional Cocoa Symposium on 8 November, emphasized that research needs to be given more attention to ensure the revival of the cocoa industry in the region.\n<div id=\"attachment_1613\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1024_WCF.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1613\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1024_WCF.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of Paul Macek, Director of West Africa Programs of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF).\" width=\"1024\" height=\"482\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1613\" \/><\/a>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1613\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Macek, Director of West Africa Programs\u00a0of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\nHe said that the theme of the symposium \u201cNext Generation of Cocoa Research for West and Central Africa\u201d was borne out of the need to develop a regional approach to cocoa research that will prioritize critical issues in the sector while demonstrating how research can be put into action to transform the sector, lives, and livelihoods of millions in West and Central Africa.\n\n\u201cThe theme of this symposium reminds us that cocoa is central to the livelihoods and way of life for millions. While cocoa cultivation may be culturally rooted for many Africans, we must strive to modernize and professionalize its production and to get there, we need three things from research:\n<ol>\n \t<li>Investments in global cocoa collections.<\/li>\n \t<li>New varieties that are higher yielding and tolerant to pests, diseases, and the adverse impacts of climate change.<\/li>\n \t<li>A deeper understanding of the socioeconomic and household behaviors in cocoa growing areas that create sustainable livelihoods and communities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nWCF recognizes the efforts of African cocoa farmers and the challenges they contend with in production, noting that the symposium took stock of Africa\u2019s research and highlighted the strategic directions for cocoa research as well as emerging challenges in the cocoa sector. He also said that WCF is devising production models that focus on complementary measures to increase incomes in recognition of the fact that productivity increases alone are not sufficient.\n\n\u201cWe acknowledge the most important people to this sector today\u2014the cocoa farmers\u2014whose hard work and efforts are the backbone of the entire cocoa and chocolate industry. Cocoa today faces more threats than ever from pests, diseases, and now sadly, climate change. To overcome these challenges, we are looking to promoting alternative income-generating activities for farmers, ensuring an effective agricultural policy framework that benefits farmers, and developing a more inclusive growth strategy that empowers women farmers and engages the youth\u201d.\n\nSymposium participants were asked to \u201cbuild the bridges of understanding to enhance the sustainability of the cocoa subsector.\u201d \u201cLet us continue to build bridges of understanding, sharing, and collaboration as we seek to enhance the sustainability of the cocoa sector and improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers, their families, and communities,\u201d Macek concluded.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paul Macek, Director of West Africa Programs of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), speaking on behalf of President Richard Scobey, in a keynote talk during the Regional Cocoa Symposium<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":17105,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[2111],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[32],"news-type":[],"hub":[61],"crop":[208],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[194],"class_list":["post-17104","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-bulletin-no-2353cocoaworld-cocoa-foundation","location-nigeria","hub-western-africa","crop-cocoa","item-year-194"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - 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