The global cocoa industry faces unprecedented challenges due to climate change, causing rising cocoa prices and threatening the livelihoods of millions dependent on cocoa farming. This research proposal aims to explore the selection of climate-resilient cocoa genotypes as a sustainable strategy to ensure long-term productivity. As extreme droughts and heavy rainfall become more frequent, developing and promoting drought- and flood-tolerant cocoa varieties is essential to stabilizing global cocoa supply and reducing price volatility.

While West Africa—especially Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana—currently dominates global cocoa production, the region struggles with aging plantations, deforestation, and climate-induced crop failures. This has prompted the need for diversification of cocoa production regions. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with its vast arable land and favorable climate, has emerged as a potential key player in the cocoa industry. Similarly, Vietnam and Malaysia have shown growing potential as emerging cocoa producers due to supportive agricultural policies and expanding cocoa cultivation areas.

The study also highlights the potential of Ecuadorian fine-flavor cocoa varieties (such as Nacional) known for their superior quality and resilience. Lessons from Ecuador’s successful integration of high-value cocoa into global markets could inform efforts in emerging cocoa-producing regions like the DRC, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

This proposal seeks to evaluate cocoa genotype performance under variable climatic conditions through field trials in the DRC, Vietnam, and Malaysia; assess genetic diversity in West Africa’s major production zones; and recommend adaptive breeding programs. A mixed-methods approach involving agronomic assessments, economic analysis, and farmer surveys will be employed. The anticipated findings will contribute to developing climate-adaptive cocoa farming systems, supporting global cocoa sustainability, and securing livelihoods in emerging and established cocoa-producing countries. By focusing on genotype resilience, market diversification, and regional cooperation, the study aims to enhance cocoa value chains amid an evolving climate reality.