The physiological responses of cacao to the environment and the implications for climate change resilience. A review

Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is a tropical perennial crop which is of great economic importance to the confectionary industry and to the economies of many countries of the humid tropics where it is grown. Some recent studies have suggested climate change could severely impact cacao production in West Africa. It is essential to incorporate our understanding of the physiology and genetic variation within cacao germplasm when discussing the implications of climate change on cacao productivity and developing strategies for climate resilience in cacao production. Here we review the current research on the physiological responses of cacao to various climate factors. Our main findings are 1) water limitation causes significant yield reduction in cacao but genotypic variation in sensitivity is evident, 2) in the field cacao experiences higher temperatures than is often reported in the literature, 3) the complexity of the cacao/ shade tree interaction can lead to contradictory results, 4) elevated CO2 may alleviate some negative effects of climate change 5) implementation of mitigation strategies can help reduce environmental stress, 6) significant gaps in the research need addressing to accelerate the development of climate resilience. Harnessing the significant genetic variation apparent within cacao germplasm is essential to develop modern varieties capable of high yields in non-optimal conditions. Mitigation strategies will also be essential but to use shading to best effect shade tree selection is crucial to avoid resource competition. Cacao is often described as being sensitive to climate change but genetic variation, adaptive responses, appropriate mitigation strategies and interactive climate effects should all be considered when predicting the future of cacao production. Incorporating these physiological responses to various environmental conditions and developing a deeper understanding of the processes underlying these responses will help to accelerate the development of a more resource use efficient tree ensuring sustainable production into the future

Stakeholder collaboration in climate-smart agricultural production innovations: insights from the Cocoa industry in Ghana

Although collaboration is vital in addressing global environmental sustainability challenges, research understanding on stakeholder engagement in climate-smart production innovation adoption and implementation, remains limited. In this paper, we advance knowledge about stakeholder collaboration by examining the roles played by stakeholders in scaling up ecological sustainability innovations. Using the illustrative context and case of green cocoa industry in Ghana, the analysis identified three distinctive phases of stakeholder engagement in ecological sustainability innovations implemented from 1960-2017. We highlight defining periods of ecological challenges encompassing the production recovery sustainability initiative phase solely driven by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD)–a governmental body responsible for production, processing and marketing of cocoa, coffee and sheanut. During the period, major initiatives were driven by non-governmental organisations in collaboration with COCOBOD to implement the Climate-Smart agriculture scheme in the cocoa sector. The findings have implications for cocoa production research and stakeholder collaboration in environmental innovations adoption

People And Plants: A Survey Of Economic Botanicals On The Kumasi Central Market

Plants generally provide valuable functions in livelihood sustenance and indigenous knowledge on their utilization has been applied over centuries. However society So dependence on plant resources is threatened by rising environmental degradation especially in the tropics and the associated loss of indigenous botanical knowledge cannot be underscored. Traditional markets are useful sources on information on plants. This . paper reports on the ethno botany, availability and consumption trends of economic plants sold on the Kumasi Central market in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, as well as challenges encountered in marketing these resources. Structured questionnaire and inventory sheets were employed in a detailed documentation of information on the vendors and their products. Photographs of the products and specimens were also gathered, prepared and preserved in a herbarium at the Forestry Resarch Institute of Ghana. Information on 150 plant species belonging to 55 families was documented along with a taxonomic identification of new species. Nearly all plant species had multiple uses with approximately 57% and 20% usedfor medicinal andfood purposes respectively. Ninety-seven percent of the plants were non-timber forest products collected from the wild, and 30% of these were reported to have declined in supply as a result of degradation of vegetation. Demand has increased for 60% of the products, attributable to increased recognition and values that consumers currently attach to natural products mainly for medicinal and food purposes. With rising demand and declining supply of some plant species, the sustainability of the natural resource base is possibly threatened. This is because the sources from which these prodcuts are collected are usually unmanaged and harvesting methods, although rudimentary, may be destructive. Management interventions that would enable sustained exploitation of plant species collected from the ,wild, as well as the development of cultivation methods for key threatened species are imperative to aid biodiversity conservation and sustain the livelihoods of people relying on these resources for survival.Keywords: non-wood forest products, natural plant marketing, ethno botany, indigenous knowledge

Towards A Sustainable Development Of The Bamboo Industry In Ghana

The potential role of bamboo is underscored in Ghana. This paper aims at highlighting the potential for sustainable use of bamboo in national development in Ghana. Information on sources, potential and perceived uses of bamboo as well as constraints in the bamboo sector were obtained through structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews from locations spreading across all major ecological zones of Ghana. Results indicate availability of bamboo on community lands, farmlands, fallow fields and forest reserves and that its economic use is more pronounced in the Southern part of the country. Key challenges facing the bamboo industry that need consideration for its effective development revolve around the need for improvedfast growing quality bamboo resources and development of effective sustainable management and harvesting techniques in natural stands. Efficient processing and preservation techniques are also major areas of concern as well as product development and promotion. To improve the bamboo sector and ensure its competitiveness as an alternative source of wood and a sustainable enterprise, a comprehensive policy is required to put in place relevant interventions. Key interventions must include regulations for extraction of bamboo and support for relevant research institutions to improve resource quality and quantity as well as product quality. The capacity of large and small scale entrepreneurs must be enhanced for improved value addition and marketing of products.Keywords: Bamboo sector development, bamboo production-to-consumption systems, non-timber forest product