ii.) Pest and disease control

Integrated Crop and Pest Management (ICPM) should be implemented in order to achieve sustainable good yields and ensure the cocoa produced complies with regulatory limits for pesticide residues. The key elements of ICPM are the prevention of conditions on the farm that flavour pests and diseases, quick identification of the pest or disease and assessment of the level of infestation. 

Control methods can then be used which are appropriate for the infestation level. Such control methods may include the responsible and effective use of crop protection products in cases where if left untreated, the infestation would cause unacceptable financial losses. Detailed information on Responsible Pesticide Use (RPU) and ICPM practices for cocoa can be found in a number of sources. The recommendations will vary according to the pests endemic to a particular region. 

However, improved planting materials, coupled with good farm sanitation and the use of agronomic techniques to create ecosystems favouring the cocoa tree and the natural enemies of its pests rather than the pests themselves, will help to ensure that there is a continual reduction in the use of agrochemicals for crop production, and that where pesticides are used they are applied based on sound knowledge of the pest and good practices.

It is essential that only pesticides that are registered and approved for use on cocoa are used and that they are obtained from reputable sources to avoid counterfeit or contaminated products. They must only be used in full accordance with Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) which will include aspects such as dosage/timing of application, appropriate application technology and personal protective equipment. 

Particular attention should be paid to the Pre-Harvest Interval (PHI) which is the minimum permitted time between the last spray and harvest. The CAOBISCO/ECA/JRF/ICCO “Pesticide Use in Cocoa: Practical Manual 4th Edition” (Bateman and Crozier, 2023) available from https://www.icco.org/icco-documentation/pesticide-use-in-cocoa-practial-manual-fourth-edition// provides detailed information including the selection of appropriate control strategies, Good Agricultural and Storage Practices, and annexes which list strategic/recorded pesticides for cocoa, compounds which should only be used with great caution (compounds with an uncertain future and a history of issues, such as with (eco)toxicology or frequent exceeding of MRLs) and those that MUST NOT be used on cocoa.