Disease-Resistant Cacao Plants Under Evaluation in Hawaii and Puerto Rico
What happened
Cacao plants edited to resist crop diseases are currently being evaluated in field collaborations with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The plant, which carries a tiny change to the TcNPR3 gene, showed 42% less black pod disease in laboratory tests. Penn State has licensed this technology to a company planning to scale up the production.
From natureworldnews.com
Why it matters
This evaluation comes as supply problems in West Africa, the world's primary cacao producer, drove prices to record highs in 2024. The technology aims to combat disease, which farmers report is a major threat causing significant global yield losses.
From natureworldnews.com
Who's involved
- CacaoThe commodity being evaluated for disease resistance
- HawaiiLocation where cacao plant evaluation is taking place
- Puerto RicoLocation where cacao plant evaluation is taking place
- West AfricaRegion that serves as the primary global source for cacao production
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- NigeriaSpeculative
Nigeria might see improved yields and reduced production costs if the disease-resistant cacao technology is adopted.
- GhanaSpeculative
Ghana might see improved yields and reduced production costs if the disease-resistant cacao technology is adopted.
- West AfricaSpeculative
West Africa might see reduced production costs and improved supply stability if the technology is adopted.
- HersheySpeculative
Hershey could see lower input costs for cocoa production if global cacao supply stabilizes.
Keep exploring
The entities involved
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Cacao
river in France
Nothing else this week.
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Hawaii
state of the United States of America
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Puerto Rico
unincorporated territory of the United States of America