in World News World’s Chocolate Supply Under Threat By Virus, Researchers Call for Cacao Trees To Be Vaccinated
Cacao trees in West Africa, where 50% of the world’s chocolate originates, are currently under threat by a virus that may jeopardize the global supply of chocolate.
In a new scientific study, researchers from the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana and the University of Kansas, Prairie View A&M, reported that the cacao swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD), caused by tiny insects called mealybugs, has endangered cacao trees in the Ivory Coast and Ghana.
Harvests in the Ivory Coast and Ghana have been cut by 15% to 50% since the virus has wreaked havoc on cocoa trees.
To combat the pesky virus, researcher Chen-Charpentier from the University of Kansas, Prairie View A&M, has advocated for vaccinating cocoa trees and spreading them out from one another.
Chen-Carpentier stated, “What we needed to do was create a model for cacao growers so they could know how far away they could safely plant vaccinated trees from unvaccinated trees in order to prevent the spread of the virus while keeping costs manageable for these small farmers.”