Brigitte Laliberté, Bioversity International
CacaoNet and Cocoa of Excellence Programme Coordination
8 September 2015, San Salvador, El Salvador
The Role of Genetic Diversity
and Conservation in support
to developping quality and fine
flavours - niche markets
Origins of cacao diversity
Species richness of Theobroma.Source: Thomas et al., 2012.
Highest levels of genetic diversity observed in the Upper Amazon areas from southern Peru
to the Ecuadorian Amazon and the border areas between Colombia, Peru and Brazil.
Genetic differentiation and geographical distribution of a number of other clusters seem to
have been significantly affected by processes of human management.
Cacao is indigenous to the Amazon
basin
Genus Theobroma originated millions of
years ago in South America – 22
species
Conservation of genetic diversity in Central America
and the Caribbean
"Cacao Genetic Clusters" by Juan C. Motamayor, Philippe Lachenaud, Jay Wallace da Silva e Mota, Rey Loor, David N. Kuhn, J. Steven Brown, Raymond J. Schnell - Geographic and Genetic Population Differentiation of the Amazonian Chocolate Tree. 2008
The Cocoa Route – how it moved around the world
• 1660-1670 - Mexico to the Philippines
• 1664 - Amazon to Martinique
• Philippines to Indonesian Archipelago
• 1757 - Amazon to Trinidad
• Early 19th century - Indonesian Archipelago to Ceylon
• 18th &19th centuries - Amazon to Southeastern Brazil
• 1822 - Brazil to Principe
• 1840s - Dublin to Sierra Leone
• 1861 - Ecuador to Guatemala
• 1880-1881 - Trinidad (via England) to Sri Lanka
• 1883 - Trinidad (via England) to Fiji
• 1892-1893 - Trinidad to Nicaragua. Nicaragua to Trinidad.
• 1898 - Trinidad to Costa Rica and Colombia
• 1890 - Venezuela to Ecuador
• 1930s - Ecuador to Costa Rica and Panama
• 1880s - Trinidad, Venezuela and Ecuador to Sao Tome
• 1899 - Trinidad, Venezuela, Ecuador and Central America to Cameroon
• End of 19th century - Indonesian Archipelago to Samoa
Cocoa Production Today
Côte d’Ivoire 36%
Ghana 21%
Indonesia 11%
Nigeria 6%
Brazil 5%
Cameroun 5%
Ecuador 5%
Dominica Republic 2%
Peru 1%
Threatened cacao genetic diversity
Serious problem because it
increases the vulnerability of
cacao to sudden changes in
climate and to new pests and
diseases.
Factors contributing to declining
genetic diversity :
Habitat loss due to natural disasters and extreme weather
Destruction of the Amazon rainforests - centre of diversity and home of cacao
Loss of traditional varieties grown
Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of Cocoa Genetic Resources
Finalised in October 2012
Coordinated by the Global Network for Cacao
Genetic Resources - CacaoNet
Result of a consultation process, drawing upon
the global cocoa community’s expertise in
all aspects of cacao genetic resources (over
75 individuals from 26 institutes contributed)
Clear framework to secure funding for the most
urgent needs to ensure that cacao diversity
provides direct benefits to the millions of
small-scale farmers around the world
www.cacaonet.org
Where is cacao diversity conserved?
How is it exchanged?
Cocoa Research Centre of the
University of the West Indies
(CRC/UWI), Trinidad and
Tobago (M.Gilmour)
Centro Agronómico Tropical de
Investigación y Enseñanza
(CATIE), Costa Rica (W. Phillips)
International Cocoa Quarantine
Centre (ICQC), UK (A. Daymond)
Sharing Genetic Resources
Guidelines for the Safe Movement of Cacao
Germplasm – 2014
English, French and Spanish
Legal and Policy expertise in the fair and
equitable sharing of genetic resources
International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources
for Food and Agriculture
Convention on Biological Diversity – Nagoya
Protocol
Economic evaluation of conservation actions
“Noah’s Ark” question - what should we
conserve?
Use of genetic diversity
International Cacao Germplasm Evaluation
CFC/ICCO/Bioversity - 1998-2009
Global Approaches to Cocoa Germplasm Utilization and
Conservation
Objectives:
validate promising cocoa varieties in farmers’ fields
through participatory approaches
disseminate selected cocoa varieties between
partners.
linkages between national breeding programmes,
international genebanks ,quarantine centres, and
international research and development efforts.
Review of cacao propagation methodologies
Current status of cacao propagation
methodologies : seeds, grafting, tissue culture
Major obstacle - capacity to supply significant
volumes of improved planting material to
farmers.
Basis for assessing national strategies that
provide farmers with quality planting materials
adapted to current and future needs.
Not sustainable to have farms with old, poorly
producing trees.
Opportunities
Improve the livelihoods of the 5-6 million farmers in
developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin
America
produce around 90% of cocoa worldwide
40-50 million people who depend upon cocoa for
their livelihoods
Improve productivity
Celebrating the flavours of a very diverse region
Adding value - uniqueness
Adding value - uniqueness
Assessment of opportunities for adding value
to native cacao diversity.
Example of Peru:
Chuncho cacao diversity
Good characterisation and evaluation of
potential for differentiated markets
The results show high intrinsic quality of
Chuncho beans.
Other unique diversity – piura – cacao blanco
Promoting excellent quality
Good trees (genetics)
Well cared for and grown in suitable environment
Pods correctly harvested
Good practices to keep the tress healthy and free of
pests and diseases
Optimum fermentation and drying specific to the type of
beans
Know-how for processing cocoa beans and for chocolate
making
All activities in cocoa production, management and
processing ultimately affect flavour development and
quality
Reward Excellence in Producing
High-quality Cocoa Origins
Vision
• Achieve farmers'/producers’ professionalization and
long-term sustainability of the cocoa supply chain.
• This is through recognizing, preserving and valuing
cocoa diversity and through promoting and providing
global recognition of high quality cocoa.
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Partners for the 2015 Edition
Bioversity International – Programme
coordination
Brigitte Laliberté and Stephen Weise
Event International – Paris France
Salon du chocolat
François Jeantet and Laure Videau
Guittard Chocolate, San Francisco
Seguine Cacao - Cocoa & Chocolate Advisors
Ed Seguine
Barry Callebaut - France
Valentine Detalle and Nathalie Touzet
Belcolade - Puratos - Belgium
Marie-Amelie Ormières
Cocoa Research Centre, - Trinidad and Tobago
Darin A. Sukha
Chocolat Weiss - France
Régis Bouet
European Cocoa Association – ECA
Catherine Entzminger
Lutheran World Relief
Regional Representative for Central America and Haiti
Jenny Wiegel
Cacao Atlanta Chocolate Company
Kristen Hard
www.cocoaofexcellence.org
Heirloom Cacao Preservation - HCP
MISSION: To identify and preserve fine flavor ("Heirloom") cacao for the conservation of biological
diversity and the empowerment of farming communities.
How it works:
A. Apply to the HCP, following the application instructions, pay the fee, and send 3 Kg of your best
beans for evaluation.
B. USDA processes the application and begins genetic evaluation.
C. HCP Lab processes the beans anonymously into chocolate and liquor for sampling.
D. The Tasting Panel performs qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the beans.
E. HCP reports the Tasting Panel results to the USDA and the Applicant.
If Heirloom designation is achieved, the Application proceeds to F.
F. USDA performs a site visit to sample the trees the beans came from and matches them to the
genetics of the beans submitted. If the beans match, the designation is complete!
G. HCP announces the designation and begins working with the Applicant to promote the result and on
preservation and propagation work.
www.bioversityinternational.org
Thank you