SciencePhys.orgNew cacao variety could help protect global chocolate supply from disease
Penn State scientists have developed a disease-tolerant cacao variety after decades of research, and a biotech company has licensed it to bring it to farmers worldwide.
Chocolate lovers may not realize it, but the future of one of the world's most popular foods is increasingly under pressure. Diseases, shifting weather patterns and other environmental stressors are threatening cacao production globally, contributing to supply concerns and economic challenges for the millions of farmers who grow the crop that makes chocolate possible.
Penn State scientists have developed a new disease-tolerant cacao variety after decades of research, aiming to protect the global chocolate supply.
The university has licensed the variety to biotech company AgroNetica, which will conduct field testing before marketing the plant directly to growers worldwide.
Researchers say the breakthrough could help millions of cacao farmers facing mounting pressure from disease, shifting weather and supply chain disruptions.
Researchers say the new variety could help stabilise chocolate supply chains threatened by disease and climate stress, though it is still in field-testing stages.
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