Use of Pesticides in the Cocoa Industry and Their Impact on the Environment and the Food Chain
Cocoa, Theobroma cacao L., is a major cash crop cultivated in the tropical regions of West Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Asia. In West Africa, where over 70% of the world’s cocoa is produced – with about 21% coming from Ghana – it is a significant component of the rural economy, as the industry is dominated by large numbers of small-
holder peasant farmers who depend on the crop for their livelihood (Acquaah, 1999; Appiah, 2004). Like all living organisms, the cocoa plant can also be attacked by a wide
range of pests and diseases. When this happens expected production targets are not met, and the economies of the producer nations are adversely affected. Preventive and curative measures are therefore necessary in the cocoa industry to maintain and even increase output (Akrofi and Baah, 2007).
Area of focus: Cocoa
Author(s): George Afrane, Augustine Ntiamoah
Organisation/institution: InTech