Working conditions and wellbeing (quality of life) could be linked, and they in turn enhance social and economic development. Nevertheless, working conditions of farmhands have largely been ignored in policy and research. We explored working conditions of migrant and native farmhands on Ghana's ...

Necrosis- and ethylene-inducing proteins are effector molecules of microorganisms able to induce cell death in plant tissues and/or ethylene biosynthesis. The fungus Moniliophthora perniciosa, which causes the witches' broom disease in Theobroma cacao, contains five genes that encode these...

The chemical composition and sensory profile of cocoa beans are essential factors determining the quality of cocoa-based products. In this study, cocoa bean samples were collected from various regions of Indonesia, including Aceh, Banten, Bali, East Java, West Sumatra, West Sulawesi, East...

Baobab is a priority pan-African tree species that can be put on a similar pedestal as cocoa. The wild and indigenous baobab has the potential for similar importance in tropical agriculture as the exotic commodity crop cocoa, whose beans are exported for the international chocolate industry....

Storage insect pest is a major constraint to stored produce in Nigeria. The insecticide properties such as low toxicity to non-target organism, biodegradability, environmentally friendliness and high volatility makes essential oils better alternatives to conventional fumigants in the control of...

Background. Maintenance pruning is an essential activity in cacao in order to maintain height, avoid intersections of branches between trees, and generate new foliar shoots. Usually, fertilization is applied at the same time as pruning, but there are little information when it should be applied to...

Fertilizer application in cacao production systems in West Africa yields highly variable results, ranging from no effect to doubling of the yield. Mechanisms underlying yield responses to increased nutrient availability are still largely unkown. In this study, we assessed how fertilizer application ...

The global market of chocolate has increased worldwide during the last decade and is expected to reach a value of USD 200 billion by 2028. Chocolate is obtained from different varieties of Theobroma cacao L, a plant domesticated more than 4000 years ago in the Amazon rainforest. However, chocolate ...

BACKGROUND: Microencapsulated yeasts are a novel alternative as a delivery matrix for microbiological starters. This technology aims to protect the active compounds from adverse environmental conditions and prolong their useful life and could also improve the conditions of the starters for cocoa...

Fine-grade cocoa beans are characterized by their great organoleptic quality. Brazilian cocoa producers increasingly privilege organoleptic quality over yield. Catongo and FL89, fine Brazilian cocoa genotypes from Bahia, are characterized by particular flavors (respectively, kerosene and whisky)....