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Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features Page 1 of 5 Wednesday, April l8, 2001 .....Y ;s>`~ .y. <:f" . r::~ ~'i ~ 9' > # as t Y a,.r„ 9 of ~~l ~ f ~e ~ ~ ~ - ~ ~ .:t f • s€'t ~ f x s t ROD THOMPSON /STAR-BULLET[N Bob Cooper surveys bins of cacao beans ready to be opened to begin the process of making chocolate. ~~.~11°l C~1~.11C ®n ~h®~olt Noe A ~i~ Isle company bets that No, ~ ~ chocolate made entirely in I~[awaii ~o~ ~ ~ will command top dollar fe ~~,~~JUi~ ~ 2001 http://starbulletin.com/2001 /04/ 18/features/story l .html 7/5/01 Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features Page 2 of 5 Rod Thompson Star-Bulletin KAILUA-KONA » Five years ago, Bob Cooper did not know that chocolate grew on trees. Today he knows that so much work is needed to turn a chocolate bean into a chocolate bar that some people just leave the beans on the trees to rot. But Cooper has pushed ahead, almost single-handedly creating the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory. It's "the original" because it's the only chocolate company in the state that grows, processes and markets its product entirely in Hawaii. From a single acre of cacao trees at his home in Kailua-Kona and another 14 acres on the other side of the Big Island at Keaau, Cooper makes milk chocolate and dark chocolate, in quarter-pound and 1-pound bars. "It's a cottage industry," Cooper says, and his factory indeed has the size and appearance of a cottage, although one with $250,000 of equipment stuffed into it. <'>:<:<: f.. mi::::::::::33 iii:~iii:hi . ::::::::n •:i ' ~~riir v: ri% . •..y:•::.~, ~i:~:~i: rr...r . :r xm:: C:~i:~i:~::^::.; ..:xv; :~./r .n..../. w:::::::;, yr err, .i. .:nr/r . <; i i':•'i...q.• :ray mfr-ryrrr. r~r~r~~y. is ~ ' i:. ':r i' is '.{:j .r~..:. .~fl.~.. . ~<~tr':>. ROD THOMPSON /STAR-BULLETIN Finished bars line Bob Cooper's shelves. This is not the life Cooper expected when he moved to Hawaii in 1997 after 20 years managing a country club in Raleigh, N.C., and periodically vacationing in Hawaii. He and his wife Pam bought a 6-acre Kona farm with coffee, macadamias and an acre of cacao trees. On his property Cooper discovered bags and bags of moldy cacao beans harvested by the former owner for another Hawaii chocolate company, which had not picked them up for a year. http://starbulletin.com/2001 /04/ 18/features/story l .html 7/5/01 _ Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features Page 3 of 5 Cooper started harvesting his beans every two weeks. "I told Pam, 'I'm going to start stockpiling those beans. I'm going to process them somehow, some way."' Through the rest of 1997, he tried to get financing, but banks had no interest in risking their money on a former country club manager with a sweet vision but no agricultural experience. Cooper finally got a $250,000 loan from the state Department of Business and Economic Development in 1999. Meanwhile he contacted Florida chocolate consultant Jack Collins, who scoffed at Cooper's trivial stockpile of beans, about a ton. "You don't have any beans, Bob," Collins said. Typical processing machines work with seven to 20 tons at a time. Collins urged him to blend his beans with foreign beans to assure volume and consistency of taste. Cooper refused, insisting on pure Hawaiian chocolate. It is an approach Cooper describes as "like climbing Everest with a pick and shovel." ~ ~ ::i''. . ~~fr ~ i4i ~ ~f:. 4fi'.. r :l.. f ~ 4 1• F !'S'~ 4 >4.. / ROD THOMPSON /STAR-BULLETIN Cacao beans are covered with white slime when they are extracted from the pods of cacao trees. They look and taste nothing like chocolate. But after Cooper sent a sample of dried beans to ataste-tester in Barcelona, Spain, and the assessment came back "prominent and forthright in flavor," Collins agreed to help. He set to work adapting machinery to a micro operation, Cooper said. One piece, a short conveyor belt for sorting beans, is actually a converted home exercise treadmill Cooper bought for $100. Cooper's wife helped tend the trees and harvest the pods. A handyman helped set up the equipment. That was all the staff he had, and the handyman, more interested in machinery than farming, quit after everything was running properly. In 1998, Cooper contracted with Sheldon Zane about his 14 acres of cacao trees in Keaau. Zane had bought the land from chocolate company owner Jim Walsh, who acquired it from the chocolate giant Hershey. http://starbulletin.com/2001 /04/18/features/story l .html 7/5/01 Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features Page 4 of 5 The first chocolate bars were produced on Sept. 21, 2000. The chocolate sells for an average retail price of $8 per quarter-pound, but the hefty price does not seem to put people off. "It sells like hot cakes," said Patti Cook, owner of Cook's Discoveries in Waimea. "(Customers) love it because it has great flavor. They're excited by something made in Hawaii." Cooper said one woman from Hershey, Penn., home of the chocolate company, bought 20 bars to take home. Cooper markets his product at select locations very select, since production is just 1,200 pounds per month on the Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai. He would like to expand and knows of perhaps a dozen farmers putting in one to 20 acres each of cacao which he might buy. But their first harvests will not be for four years. The new crop merits protection, Cooper says, particularly from diseases borne by foreign beans, should they be imported by other processors to boost local chocolate production. U.S. Department of Agriculture off cial Mike Scharf sees little danger. Cacao pods can be imported into the northern United States only. Dried, fermented beans can also be imported, but both must be inspected by USDA quarantine agents for insects and diseases. No beans or pods have been imported to Hawaii, Scharf said, but cacao seeds for planting have been imported here and were also subject to inspection. But Cooper wants state protective legislation, and state Reps. Jim Rath and Paul Whalen of Kona share his concerns. Rath pointed to other agricultural diseases, the tremendous losses caused by banana bunchy- top virus and papaya ringspot disease. "If I were in Bob's shoes, I'd be really concerned." ~~°UIl1 ~~~Il >t0 b~>r How Bob Cooper's cacao beans become chocolate bars: » Cacao pods are cut open by hand, the beans pulled out and placed in a wooden "sweat box." They are fermented for six days. Any more or less will ruin the taste. Acids are released that wake up the flavor of the beans. » The beans are sun-dried on racks 22 to 28 days. » The beans are sorted, roasted, then put into a homemade "flinger" which knocks off their shells, leaving the dried chocolate centers known as "nibs." http://starbulletin.com/2001 /04/18/features/story l .html 7/5/01 Honolulu Star-Bulletin Features Page 5 of 5 » The nibs are ground to powder inside a "conche refiner," a machine with a whirling center that looks like a jet engine. Cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla powder and/or powdered milk may be added, depending on whether dark or milk chocolate is to be made. After a second grinding, lecithin is added to turn the batch fluid. » The chocolate cools in a tempering tank, a process meant to prevent the cocoa butter from "blooming," or separating from the chocolate. » The liquid chocolate is poured into molds to form quarter-pound and 1-pound bars. s.~~~ Click f'or online calendars and events. E-mail to Features F.,ditor Text Site Directory: 1Newsl IBusinessl JFeaturesj f$portsJ JEditorixl_l (Do [t Electric!) JClassifeed.4dsl )Search) 1SubseribeJ Jlnrol llxttertn [:ditorl [Feedback) © 2001 Honolulu Star-Bulletin http: //starbul letin. com http://starbulletin.com/2001 /04/18/features/story l .html 7/5/01 rl"12c~. ,~ri~,;i.rZ~~l r ~ ~ ri!' 9 . ~ c r. ~ ~71ih9.Yi~ • .1 l V 2l 1. 12~ h"1 ...,~i.....:..:'c, Greetings from THE ORIGINAL HAWAU.AN CHOCOLA fE FACTORY! Here on the slopes of Hualalai, at the trchards of ICahalu'u we grow cocoa and our mission is very simple... to keep the cocoa Hawaiian from the tree to the consumer. 'To accomplish this mission it was necessary that we process the cocoa beans ourselves. beginning in 1997 our cocoa bean harvests have been dedicated to the purpose of producing this special "one of a kind" niche signature chocolate. Traditionally, chocolate is made by blending beans from around the world. The challenge we faced and met was to produce a chocolate of excellent flavor, texture and taste utilizing exclusively Hawaiian grown cocoa beans without blending them with other beans from other parts of the world. The cocoa used for our chocolate is grown, hand picked and sun dried from Orchards on the Big Island. Our Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory exclusively processes the chocolate right here in Kona. We take pride in having taken this step in setting up the first and only processing facility for Hawaiian grown cocoa beans. We invite you to experience what we consider an exceptionally unique chocolate. GENUINE HAWAIIAN? America's Own! For chocolate lovers with discriminating taste... Aloha, Bob and PaYn Cooper The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory 7$-6772 Malcenawai Street Kailua-Kona, I°ia~vaii 96740 Telephone /Fax: {808) 322-2f 26 Toll Free: {888) 447-2626 www.ori ' waiiianchooolat~factory.cnin 6/01 The: Qri~;inril a~ai~an~ ~c~l~ actoxy ~.nuine 1 W i31 1 '~i n 7~~2 ~~1 r~s .~ae~uer-~ot~, c~Patxr~ t ~j~0 tT~1~~~}~: ~&08~ 3EE-B~SG ~~~l~' June 7, 2001 Nancy Pisicchio, Council Member Chair, Committee on Human Services and Economic Development Hawaii County Council 77-6399 Nalani Street, Suite 1-A Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 Dear Ms. Pisicchio: Please accept this letter as introduction of The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory to the Committee for Human Services and Economic Development. We grow and process Hawaiian chocolate here on the Big Island. Our mission is very simple...to keep it Hawaiian from the tree to the consumer. We are extremely proud of our product inasmuch it rightfully is the first of its kind, the first and only genuine Hawaiian/American chocolate! Our small factory represents the first inter-island marketplace where prospective cocoa growers can market cocoa beans. likewise, we have rekindled an industry that we hope eventually will become a major agribusiness for the County of Hawaii as well as the State of Hawaii. In the interest of our mission to produce a very special product and our sincere desire to make a most positive contribution to Hawaii, it is imperative that the integrity of this growing and processing business be protected. To accomplish this, the following are essential: 1) A State of Hawaii Quarantine: This will safeguard Hawaiian cocoa trees by not allowing any offshore beans into the State without a rigid protocol in place to make sure they are free of certain pathogens which can cause great damage to the cocoa and other crops. Simply put, diseases affecting many of Hawaii's agricultural crops are here because they have been allowed. Certification: 'his will certify that all Hawaiian cocoa is grown as genuine/100% Hawaiian and processed in Hawaii. A seal of certification should be displayed on all genuine Hawaiian grown and processed cocoa products to insure the consuming public of its integrity and authenticity. Violators should be subject to litigation with appropriate monetary penalties and confinement. 3) Law Enforcement: Amore active investigation and enforcement of current laws governing theft of agricultural products from posted lands.`fhe thefts of agricultural products should be stopped now before they become an epidemic. Paper trail records can easily and readily be checked to verify the proper acquisition of all cocoa seed and cocoa plant stocks. We respectfully request your assistance regarding our needs and those of the community and look forward to meeting with the committee to further discuss them. With Aloha, fob Cooper GREAT PACffIC ~~(s C~i0C0I.ATE CO. J 'I'h~ riginal ~ " - ~h`: ~nttine ~~~rl W~l41E3 t1 F~n~}yin-_K.,na, ! 1n~~..i i June 21, 2001 James Nakatani, Chair, BOA ~~~~I~~ Department of Agriculture 1428 South King Street Honolulu, Hi. 96814 Re: Request for Strict Quarantine Protocol for Cacao Dear Mr. Nakatani: I am following up with you to request the status of the development of quarantine standards for cocoa beans for the State of Hawaii. Per your letter of March 17, 2000, you indicated that you were initiating a quarantine protocol for any and all cocoa beans imported into this State. Since we represent the cocoa industry at present we respectfully request and demand the necessary quarantines or allow no entry at all of foreign cocoa beans, to protect Hawaii's cacao agribusiness, as well as other crops. As you will recall, my greatest concern is the importation of cacao beans from foreign countries. Hawaii has suffered significantly in terms of agribusiness because elected and appointed officials have not acted responsibly to protect Hawaii from diseases and insects being brought into the State. It's time to take action in this matter before Hawaii joins many of the third world countries with devastating crop failure. You have only to look at what has happened recently to the papaya, banana and anthurium crops for lessons and need for disease and pest control. Based on a report by Carol Kaesuk Yoon of the New York Times on May 4, 1998, "cocoa farms around the globe are failing, under siege from fungal and viral diseases and insects." Since Hawaii is geographically isolated from the rest of countries in the equatorial belt where cocoa is grown, it is imperative that measures be taken to prevent the introduction of new unknown foreign pests or diseases that may infect the healthy "indigenous" orchards that have been established over the past decades. Just today I have received a copy of a letter from Myron Isherwood, Jr., Plant Quarantine Manager for the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture written to Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink concerning existing or lack of quarantine for imported cocoa beans. Mr. Isherwood clearly states that the USDA does not regulate the movement of cocoa beans into the US. Cocoa beans are inspected at the port of entry for presence of insects and diseases, however, no specific conditions, certifications or treatments are required. This tells me that the USDA actually has no thorough structural quarantine at all, just a casual formality which isn't foolproof. The importation of thousands of tons of cocoa beans, which Mr. Isherwood states are brought into the USA are presently shipped exclusively to the Mainland and not Hawaii. Cocoa trees do not grow on the Mainland and therefore there is absolutely no risk of cocoa pathogens destroying any cocoa trees based on this fact. The State of Hawaii has absolutely no quarantine inasmuch most state agriculture authorities say they are not concerned because the beans are brought in from foreign countries and the responsibility relies within the USDA jurisdiction. Mr. Isherwood likewise states that there is a risk with cocoa beans, but somewhat lower because of the nature of the beans. It seems clear to me if there is~~~ at all and neither the USDA nor the State of Hawaii has a rigid protocol of quarantine, then that is the very reason we should institute a quarantine. Also enclosed is a copy of letter from Janice Y. Uchida with the University of Hawaii who speaks to the risk. In allowing foreign cocoa beans entry into this State, you are opening the door for any concern that wishes to make "hawaiian" chocolate anti I assure you the numbers will be great and the risk will increase dramatically by the number of tons of imported cocoa beans needed to accomplish this. You must realize and appreciate that cocoa is a gift to Hawaii which can truly be a treasure from which Hawaii can again become a strong and vibrant agribusiness State. If you choose to ignore this very important issue, you can very well expect that the cocoa industry will perish. I look forward to your prompt reply. Sincerely, Bob Cooper Enclosures cc: Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink Rep. Paul Whalen Big Island Farm Bureau Mr. Sam Camp Janice Y. Uchida Myron O. Isherwood, Jr. Felipe Abinsay Loraine Inouye 78-6772 Makenawai Street Kailas-Kona, Hawaii 96740 Telephone/Fax: (808) 322-2626 Toll Free: (888) 447-2626 i~iar -c~.-vv vim: lyF' L3lg 1S :aria t-or-n; F-a iv• 8d£S-g35-9J~0 x.03 ~i~ Isl~ncl 7~~~xri ~3ur~~u a~-•. 190 K:rr.ehameha /1,vei~,ue ~l ~ Hilo, ;tiav.•aii 4670 E'ttane (608) yG9.48?b ~ ax (808) 93~-9930. S•?riall~ bt~~~al,,h:i.net March 22, 2000 Honorable Felipe Abinsay, Chairman and Committee Ketsbers CoRUni*.tee on AgrlCUlture House of Representatives State Capitc Room 325 Hanol~.~lu, Hakaii 96813 Dear Cbairmal~ Abinsay and Committee Members: "°he Biq Island Farm Bureau is pleased to provide supper~ive comments on HR 134, requesting the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules co rQquLate the importation of cocoa beans into the state. Pests and pa~nogens associated with cocoa production :.n otter regiars of the world and not currently found in Hawaii are a very real threat to the future development of Hawaii's cocoa industry and to other sectors of our agricultural industry. A t?~Qrough investigatio^ of foreign pests and their risk to our agricuitura'~ industry needs to be done prior to the importation of cocoa beans. The Farm Bureau is willing to work with the Department rff Agriculture to address the need for cocoa bean quarantine procedures. We strongly support the growth of this sactor and the protection of existing commodities. 'r~® ask for this Committea's favorable support for HR 139. Thank you for your time and consideration. S-i~ncerely, Bl~en Mehos President Hoc • Hamakua • Knhala • Kona ~fs®ao of C~~ato and inn~ct as I~arv~ii'w ~r~e~ ~ae.~aia~ ~dustr3 Jo:aloo Y. LIc1Udo Pmt pt~al ' of Plant and vira ~aa ss Una art ~z~tuls~ i~ei ~6~2 ~caa nor ?°la~abros~ coc~o s9 a nsw oa~op rocoatEy praduood ®taially ~ a X11 sale in ~aeva~ix, It ie o~ of aover~ ~w amps tit bow d®~rotaped to goto t~ical a~ioultt~re in 'i ~d p~toot rho ial~d eoasy , ~s of tt~ t~~Qs ~ had very #bw dts~acs of cacao ~ l~~if, P~ytopd~t~ra ~m~~ is 4~own to bn s sav®re pttha of , ~t the s prose~t ~ i t d poY~ dad taot lcfli bB,G~fl, to c~n4sal fLG po~cQs~o~ of too a stt~aa f~ilod Aa e~~e ure Hashed ~ Mash Holds aad is~p~od q dos ai aeoda ~ ~ot~t ~icm. es~Tiere the dz was coffin. ' c al P. p~r~~ra boa ®st~sbod in Aso f~iaw oca and is now present ~ t~old~ o~ N~~ ~txwsall. 'I`bo ® of Fhytag/~td~ea~r ~lmlvo~Q on Sao is situ bo ~c lade anal aoat~uotas lobes s ~y ~ y~ tnd~4ty. The p~tba~en pr~da, aaag ~l~k pad ~ ts, s~dlir~,gb, ~d wi!I coo. to rho ~o~ad tba ye, ~ise~a aoati~l as watt cosy ha tnd~~y rho yly~ ~°his w m~ pso4lt u~r~lid ~ dib i mob ~ of t~ Doer of produ~ari. i~vvaii is btu a dAOO for ~owi~ cacao. t~f t~ ~~t so~~ ditelt9e~, tv~ Z~~` hem. '1°his wiU ,~iv¢ aac~ ~sws~ in ii a c~~eado~ b~+aC1 per ;aria oassa psoduaf~; o®ios. Two i~pot di as bee' broom ~ by ~rrn+peld~s perntcta~a, a ~ aoaa o-akko pattta ~td:~osiE6~ ~d tot ~y ?1A:~veit~opl~tlwto ro~r+ Witches' i~~Aatt°, is :ndigena~ ca the dun ~d tis pac~eat aao~: of cacao d'.ac#~ re~ous of Soh tied Corral ~41CliGA. astd ~ ~e Cariblaeaat sslands including Bal:via, mil, Colombia, star, Ch.:y~dk P Parua ~`rirddad. Vetaea~la sth~s. ~ I$d9, this pstbogen was fot~d for the fast time in ~at~, Bail d within S yta~ it :educed prodt~tioaz in ffiaa~aa by 6d%. It has spry +~raugho~t I~P~fII and paod~do~ leg ~ 1S lisw d~G 'oy Z3~/o, ~V~I;~OUR pStipQT erd a~tiaat~ot~ alttu Drop (olee~it ~moval og di d ttr~ahas, ipraviraQ ficfd+ee, ncl~ ~e wlth p~teol~uaa, a~~, loses ily~ exc~:ed 9i}gi~e, ~waii will have gra;et di~tculty b this da$a ~ mist ctalti~~rs arRc net lo~owa~ ham, sad requiaad flutgici~s leave not b id fled or ldlce~+ to b• utLregistared f®r ~aae oa ono in the lJ~S or ~weii, Tl~ patbogea i® adr-pose sp ay vapidly from fto~ t® field, 9i~a the witclsus` broom fiatgus iafocts pods, seeds ~ y oo~a d. ' cos dos of cacaa seeds wig this aaicroseopac t be de . V6tas*~r 1 the cacao fae9tlst~, oo equiptrunc end olotltio~ or aria blowloa Door coatte~it~ted send wrill eeleeee tt~ pa~ogen co t~~e IIIswaii a+~syst, frtir.~ large geatias of cacao ids for chcacalate l~+adtac~±on cloaxly pose a severe threat so the cacao growing iaadutatgy io sts~e NLocdlia pod :ot i:t a sorve disc a! cacao, It In Cent sad Souti,~s Atrttri~, It is a pad rot disaaao sad is pr+.a~at°ity coatroll~ by removal of in~'ected i before spoa~s era faa~od. fihia is extr~,ely lasbor iatea~ive and who~er the iaduetry in :~Iewaii can afford this high Iebor cost is taawia but uttliltaly. tdalike the South A~ericaa cotes, cosy of labor is v®ay high fn tl~ U.S., dtlvizig t~a~ty busirtes~s to Satan ~arioaa. +C~ur adv~~ge is ~o ~L$g~N~"E o~ these eo~t io~+~tg patho~~e~ We moat keep ors :~l~n~ p~rt~se d~ase £raa, pto~^t o;as ~ora~tio adv~~ge, fo®~r opt develo~rg i~~ies ~y jaet;v~tuy~ the roses io®a of ps~ciuc~ tom; Ha,>~ti is able to dew. tip on o!' booms bego~ slupts~ wi11:~~T wortic, Ida~~6 00~ within ltax u is vir~ty i~p~Betblm, Ivliotaeo®pio gca app g t® sue.' tgr give is H 'i. 'fhe ~v~iau afPhy~opl~,~a pad+oi,?era ~ ao~o is a pci a pie, art tea ecoaio ~at~ cr babe ~ i~ n of lax eanoa ®f a~a like!v to be coy cif da~oy I~ri'f 14~re for ~ o~ 'ty. The reapor~ible l~tg i>i ~ how euai~t ~ of ceoe® ire Ht,ti tc~ s~pott ~ iradu oichocols~ set~tod ~ ~ ThYa~ ~e d sa fry ~ to 1~?+aii.LJgT' bo pro `That to oor MINl;A:7'( d'JI I". /l1 ,i+Hni '.Nn;;i llM]7f,r+, i:i 1;1~F f.r t21if Itn ln~+RM hnucp l,:cFU'' n1.:1lF,Nt, ' V,+a~~u'~rai,'~oN. GG 20515-:1;1. GtMO~liA71C''AI ICl It c ' %r+ lnri lY~zt T[9 :9U5 EDUt.A;II!^^CIIL L1SK FGRCI ' 0 Q r I~rt:t a.'~: svx~ <Y~ ,,''.~~;I~~~l,r v+ hl1G~;%K'WW,IIUll:itl.11515',Yrr ilNrNli1 ','~~,+d~. ~Al{ W'cB.IlttUrwww hnu;o ~nv,'rnmk •.~~MM~~EFS ~ ~ tiI! Ep;,t('a710N AND THE WORKFORCE + t,~~~~ nnwnuUfrlC~ sv U6U~.1Mn ;f.fig f- 1 ~tOC PInNC:E KUtiIO FEL'¢Rp; yUIL:.~1+G 21s+ C!'N l unv CoMrE'i ~71vEhl MONOLULV, Hl f!6'tlS{t-A97•t H/.NNINn Mc~^,tun PIIONL: luutsl :iqT 7906 ~~~re~ of t~~e t~tte~ ~~~a+,~l F4X:(R(1R15iF,i-f17:i:i '(VORlt Ff711f:l. FI+QIL•L (Il~~r Bw 15Lano; 935-3T+t+ ~'p~ l~~rlP}' x[_~7~~'q`~~y M++u1~242-181D GGVERNMBNTfi~FORM 1i Si ` ` ,36 63k6I { icAUAl:zn5~-~55t iUBCAM"dtTTEk5 FNF.hAV ?O~ICY, NATUIIAL RESOURLE;a June 19, 2009 ANO RE~i1+H Pgnv /~PFAIRS TLC'1Ni7LOCY ANO PROGUAFMh NY Pu^L1CY Craig A. Deed Administrator US®A Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service Ag fox 3401 Washington CSC 2025g'~3401 Gear Mr. deed; I have been advised that the importation of cacao beans into the United States is not specifically regulated by the US®A and that liv® cacao beans are allowed entry into the United States for research and/or commercial propagation. I understand, moreover, that cacao beans intended far processing are not subject to specific conditions, certifications, or treatmer<ts other than inspection at parts of entry and possible fumigation if pests arse identified. ~4awaii is in the early stages of developing cacao plantations. it is vital that pests and diseases from imported beans--live or dried--nat be brought into Hawaii. is APHIS developing a quarantine protocol far imported cacao beans? What can be don® to elirrtinate the danger of imported diseases and pests for Hawaii's cacao industry? Very truly yours, PA~`SY T`. MINK Member of Congress ?.11N i Lr1 CN Mt C7'CLG~ r~ 41'1.11 y? ~ a~L,It?aA~~r~r ~'dA1V© i ~ JA~'~9 .d, 9~Al~4TANt ChsDC~, Poen" aa9fcu, sx~~ ~ o~~i~ ~ ~i;PAR'P~A~~dT ~F ~~~IiCULT89f~E ~dr~ . _ 31, 2~1A1 Ti'ia H~rrorabl~ paiey AAE~k I~~!'i1b~r Gg .fa:C1P1g ~ - 2210 $~~~t H~tJ~a t~iC~ I~u11d~nQ Wh1~ i3.C. ~dS96~1102 ~®n~ , a~t~n I~Altik: ~ you ya~r I of lay 16, 2081, in ti~6'?ii~t you r~a~~d I~ an faral~tt-pr~rn ~ b,t~ ~~d tl~®~ ~ prtt~ ~ ~ c~pl sir ih~'i~rp~r~?~t1t arll~'~ ~ use il'i . ~dt k ~ ~a~~idtp Cpl pu~~~ e~~a bd~.#at I ~r ie~a. ~ ~~di r~gcata~iar?~ pre%hs~~ t irrola~art of p#anl~ P~ ~ t c irk trig lJa+iS~t4 ~t;~$e~ ~ ~ ~ Cpaig its ~ 1U.~= I~~p~t°nt of GU81~~). ~.~d~t of a~aA nttis rota 9ha U~It®d ~ ~ ~t ~p 4u1 ~y 6h~ tJ~~~. L69r~ ~ ail ~n~ In It ~l~! ! . . LIB°~ I~~i t~ ~ ) i ~ ~ p Irt i4`~i~rti end Pty ~ E$ ~ i1i! ~1 ttt~y~ sit di~~ . ~I~~~ t°Pi ~ ~ mould b~ ~h t~ ~poll~r~2 Fl~aaro~ C~nt~a' !ri F$ pa~avlda ~ a~ pl~nEilt't~ tom, i'h~ tick of irs~adsac~np art i~s~at ar di: ~ quar~tlt~ r.~ tar, a b ndad tar praale~ ~tpfi~ ~1~ ~ ~ d ~rtd ~ y it3~a ~"hau~and~ of tea of bagra~ ~tr~iar ~a U~It ~ ter pti~ ~ qty yam. St n~~~eary, ~4Slpcl~a'a4~ of bs~~ ara ~ ~d to alirrtlru$ pat$~ a . ~~a i~ ~t past-of~tt~0 ~$0 by 6J~~~ fs~ ~r ~ S ~d di~i~, Isut na sp~i~c candldans. ~ ar Srn ule~. t hapa fat: 4h~ abav~ irtiatrn~tks~ la u~a~ai tQ yau. ;~~ly, t+hY ®h1 t7. J;~Fi~3Vtid~ . JR. frl~lit 4~~renlie~~.iVi~l~per htl~I:jb - i191l~16.C~C~Al141F? G:RC. c: Chair~rson, A~asrd of Agti~uiture 'J T/ L L l~ V l V T R V J V L J i 'T ~ i F~ ~ 'i° Nancy Fiigics~hi~, ~~~.etcil Member Ciaasr, ~t oe~ l`I Services ~d Pcenamic l~evelotaaaa~rn I~m~ii ~o~aty ~Sl 7°~-6399 N ' ~u~~t, ~tuite l l~a~ltaa~ Iii ~6~dQ I)e3ar Ms. Plsaochio: C1i~t Propet~ties is a divexsificd ~~77' iiiv ire ~ticu?ture iri ~§li1ltl~ Vall®y in cJregoet mid ore thr big i of ~Iawaii. We ~e tly groveriatg dC.ca~. coffee er~cl tai®s c~aa atur Patin Bat K~ra3. Ttte ~ lea ~ yrs ®tsa supply cocoa to flee F~tcary. !id's fully rapport its i~`o~ Bo a t~fgt H~~vali~ product tit vvt'l~ be pro~t~lake aatd edd to ri~lzl bay so i~ t to the k°lAwa$1 e~tlomy. I~ otdea far us to o~ i~v t !at thin prodtx:t r~st~~~te o~° i~pps~t for Ha?~?ail~a Cliocalm~ li°~tory, ~o ~o like to have vtastt rt in folla~vatag asp: t . Q tine p~a~eat the itsapoa4 of o¢f°sbeaa~e ~ a sit .t will muse delft ~ mod. atl~ $ stash ~ P~ std ®rchlds. belia~ which wits cerSi~y the paa~+~atat~ ofBho ~ttialcd pt?cdtact tit ®o~~irta ~opa ~ in I3a.i1. 3. ~caforceaat of existing lava wilt preveaat deft of riaetltl pradtaets front psas~d land, V6%c ire attxin~s mind ~eriilin~ to corttitae,~ out ittvcsttpYesst itx agrictalture ita l~a~.ii. '~Ve w®uld epcia~ yot~ help pravidiz~ meavirasaratertt that vriil eke ~s possa`b1e. Cordiatlly, .deh?ra kl. le~o~tinto~k~ f~sislent Clint ~rlies,Ioc. t~700 Ftillto~r 1.nhe ~ Daytan, (~regoPt 97~ 14 Phone: 503-~Ei~•2154 • Fax S03•gr54.Z212 • E•Mmii: clirrtenterprises+~aml.cam t) V V Vr •J ^ i i 4 i ~ l _].a •l V V t v v v a - - - Fischer Family Fl6re[IS P b 13cx 179 a Mc~~a~sia View HI $6771 Jun6 ~0, 2001 To VlPhortt It May Concern; There are twc potentlai problems of importance to !saws!! i=arrrters, one the accidental introduction cf alle,~t diseases and two, exploitation of our unique marketlrog opportuni4les. (fur remote f®cation should provide soma prc~tecticn frrirn plant diseases spread by nature! means, ho?~ever it does not protect us front dim s cerriedd by importation eYf seeds, ®r planting stock, or of bulk agricultural products far pr®CeSSing to increase theif lf~lu~~ ~t this specific point in tirrte r~u9$", ~ dt ffi~ that des~ys coffee Is a reaflty. if this patFt®gen spreads to the coffee industry of t~ ti the economic impact would ba dot tine to the farmer veto depend on this Drop. ether pathcggns are "Vllftci~®s broom" a vlra! lnfn cf Coooa, ring S[pvt Virus of papa, ~iunchy `Top virus cf ~anartas. lntr®dctction of these pathogens have already impacted our island agric~ltura ®r may in the future. The s~ond problems is c®rtification of our produce as 10046 grown and processed in 1•-iawaii. The recent federal lawsuit int~oivinQ "Kona" Caff is a classic example of marketing exploitation where art individual solid f®reign beams for a prernlum price as liav~aii grown. ~,rote4tion of ~#atnrall Cofi~e and island groevn ~®roa through the Begaily enforceable c®rt8~~tlon prograrrt !s ab~,olut®ty asssntlal, • It is important to all ®f us whQ live and work on this beautiful Island tc protect our agriculture through rigid quarantine snap®ction artd enforosd sa~rtrfication reguia$ions. Your assistance artd support would be greatly, appreciated. If you have questinna flr need rv~are information please feel free t® ~nt,act rtie. rely, Pincher Cf: Kilauea Coffee Company Milo gay Co Corvtpany _ (soc~ awn? hitnbaysilotaat Richard H. Nakanishi NIF Plant Tissue Culture Lab 529 E. 3rd. Avenue San Mateo, CA 944®1 Mr. Robert Cooper Hawaiian Chocolate Factory 78-6772 Makenawai Street Kailua-Kona, IIawaii 96740 Dear Mr. Cooper, Thank you very much for meeting with nee recently in Kona to discuss the status of the chocolate business in Hawaii. It was heart- ening to see that you actually grow that theobron'.a cacao trees on your land, process the beans, and produce chocolate. I was also im- pressed with the healthy and vigorously producing trees in y~aur orchard. I aYn very concerned about the well being of the people of Hawaii and their economic viability. I came to see you because I would like to see the chocolate industry thrive and. grow on the Big Island and to offer my laboratory's service to clone the theobrorna cacao plants for the future expansion of the industry. Based on a report by Carol Kaesuk Yoon of the New York Tres on May 4,1998, "cocoa farms around the globe are failing, under siege from fungal and viral dieseases and insects. Since Hawaii is geogra- phically isolated from the rest of countries in the etluatorial belt where cacao is grown, it is imperative that measures be taken to pre- vent the introduction of new unknown foreign pests or diseases that ngay infect the healthy "indigenous" orchards that have been seta blished over the past decades. We have only to Iook at what has hap- pened recently to the papaya, banana, and anthuriun~ crops for lessons of devastating conser~uences, and need for disease and pest control. (1) (2) 1 do have a vested interest to clone the best theobronZa cacao plants that is suited far the I'$ig Island. Cloning plants by plant tissue culture technology is a more expensive process than growing plants by seeds or grafting to root stock, but there are long range benefits; 1) clones can be derived from the best producing plants that are grown in Hawaii; 2} clones can be derived from the plants that are best suited far the locale it is grown; 3) plantlets are disease free; and, plantlets are not borne with unknown foreign pests or fungal spores that may threaten existing orchards. It was my grandfather Mr. Kikujiro Nakano's dream early in the I9a0s to raise the chocolate bean plants in Kona instead. of the coffee bean trees. If I could in some measure fulfill his dream, I will do him honor. Ch. colate 's Aloha! R hard I~. Nakani 1 .M r F.' 7 ! ~ J~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t~' ~ C r = j ~c rq"~~ ~ r ~ C ,.,r ~'~~`7 Guy. ~ C ¢ + ' L ~ ~ u`d, ~ ~ .Y' ~ k' K ,S `i` C- ~ C,y ~ 7~1 'X,," 9 ~14 p_', ~rL ~ ~ v ~y c~c°w~ ~i ~~~,~,~'r~ ~ C7 f,+~ f ~ C ~ ~ ~ i ~'r4 ~l,'~~ Cam. 'E ';s'~. a i.... .t. 1.. ':Tad.:. 'q'y}n.IpA'°~ ~ J ...ti ~ t ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 bM ~ ~ ~ W '~+1 w"~ ~ ~ l' ~ ~ t f ~ p r f ! t`~ D ~ id . ,',~i• ~ 77D9 ~ . ~ i (pp~ ~ ~°yy ~ I ~ ~ . t ~ ii t 5 ~ ~P eb~ , a A u~ ?w ~ ~ ~ ~ ~a ~ ~ ~ t ~ v I m ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~i; i~~,. a' ,h~ ~ ~~f ~ i' };,w wn f~: ~ TUN-29-2061 lily AM RICHARD H NAKAh1I5HI 650 348 •3240 F_01 AFasne4 gt'ature: cacaa Dii;s ~ world Chocalnte Ft'odu~ttost pig 1 of 17 Fa~tun ~~rY ~esry 1 through i=®bruary 200 W~or~ C~ ~il~a~~~an Cantributad by a~~~. ~6 ]~1en H. aaw®as ~ lleseareP~ F9ant PatAo~at ~,~8~.~ ffr~i~ Uat}A, ~1R5, P51 64~ sekem~te Cry ~ Systems Lab• ~ttsvii9e, P4D 10s~tles~l t ;a~~st ll. f~a14~'y F~BtCRrM. Pldba~~ a 7 itor®arelt ant P~Bel9ologlSt ilSDA, ARS, STS: ~ Akernas~ crops ~ Systems Lab. ~11i~~'t 16l~, Nth . K. ~~r Senior ch AsSOdata t~let~M1 N~sa, Inc. St Dev®3op~ent ~@dt5vl~, MD ~~H~~ 1P/y~0 . & Edt6C~C~ QBxtl~r Unh~erslLy Of M8Bry5srad _ D4 Que®nstoMrn, MO Rmia~ D. l.sanss~ees Plant R,~11PNbQtSt / CopAborator Ai$~Pfl~&e Dope ~ &y~~ Lib. l~ettsvllPe, ND Y~9t1°i'DSS#lQn ,•,`~;~d`,o1~, ' 'i~~,l"'~~i~~~ii'~ Choc4iat'~ ties i~ origins in ancient Central ,America vahere the ~Ra a and the Aztecs y e Cultivated the c~sulo tree Fi . 1 !97 Gs~C~O 77~ a L )t 9 ) t ds r 0 Prom the s n ~raCtaC ~ a e d ri ~ h6 hl rized d nk i ns bee a 9 Y p 4• i d cho ~ a P co0~ 2 >9vhlch was r~ e Ih 1 r modern ~n s r ursar t+o vu ~C p m i the s r 1 e. Ttaeobe~ g wo choc~ at d of ~c ods r oP ti's Sou CC ~Od , 9 Y h T i tific n2onriC eo en hence tg ci s k, he fad , Y im n ro a 0 tiQ a d b E ~ ) F' a 1~ ~i!$t • w~ich tram 19oomu a~a3u~ Spaniards, notably Kiernan anthottLinko4thotr~(Cliektnta~ye Carte, introduced the drink ko a0Plai the Spanish royalty, but the bitter drink did not becornt popular for another one hundred years, when todd6ttves such as sugar, JUN-29-2001. 11 :1~ AM PIrHFiRfl H NAF:ANISHI 6~(d ;3qg 4~~t~ F. IJ2 APS~drt fty~turo: cacao I~1s~ses:~d World ~lidxolate Prdxlrzction Page 2 of 17 cinnemgt9, and ~tiild± peppers made thli mildly stlntul8tlnq drink r~t~re peletable. Chot:alate eves the flat 5ti~u18t1t drink !ntroduc~d to Europe, apptrerlnq t~v~en f9~fare coffee and tea (Fip. ~f a will tee t4ma tesrrninalo~y used by Pttrdy ~d Sohnadt, here tip tes°sr? "c~a" seffeTS to the }tla<?t, pads, and , and flee trrm "cocoa" refers to products derived Rrom tt~e plant. For aszamplo, nnae cacsa ems are harv¢stsd from the pods, they are prace8sed and ire referred to as carne, ~ns- " ~R ~ 1~ 9~ ate: sal lac kr i~ ~ 'I e r:'S;. t dTXifIQ 111 t~Y$ ~i4 ~G$$ (eexaR~r a aka`.. tnc.1 tG4kk im~o ~ (~1e itKa}ys gat Ws+w) 1a~~: ris~ar}. The present-day popularity of chocolate end ~c drink cotes needs na v~rlticatlan as attested to by the many "chocolate ld9ver5" who espr=elally leak forward to accas4ons and national holidays when chocolate is Cradltlanaf4y given as a g9rC to loved ones and frlertds. 'the demand for thtacolate Is growlnq arsd! the question now is whither the wand supply of a product Chat cashes rra~m a strictly tcmpicai, rain Forest-inhabltlnq tree will Continue to rrt~et the demand. fiver the pest two .TI_I F;-'~9-243 La1 11 lE. AM RICNHFdD H NAKANTGHI . 6:~t3 348 424L~ R_ Rz APSnet feature: Ci3o~ Diseases and World Chocolate P~?d~tioa Page 3 of 1? . iMestsc s (c~>~ag® dudes seeeer8l lmport;ant fungml ror1~r~.gr5et~!'} disea~rM's hav® galtted con$ideerable impdrtance and pose a serious threat to the suppfY (Fig. t~apending an whets ~ei~a is grown, one or t~nore of three diseases (ble~lc pod, valtrhes' broom, and frgs'ty pad rot) may reach eplphytotic pmpartians end cause devastatlr~g lasses (Table 1). In i3r~il, the praductian of cocoa beans has dropped frenn 4oo,voo to zoa,ooa metric tons in dust t0 y~~l~, lamely ~ the result of Irnr$5ion by the fur~glis, Crfrafpei!!5 p~°r~'riCic9~l. The pathogen forms tiny spare-producing ntiushr0orvis on infected parts of trie cacaa tree. 'here ere no knawn trreasures for cvntraUlnq the disease, knawn as witches' broarln. ~IVltthes' broom affects the branches of the tree, entl Its pods, destroying the beans arlthln. 'f'i1i~ same fungus causes disease t?eyand lsrazit into ~a°u, ircaaador, Yeneaueta, and Calornbla, In Sauth ~n%er3ta, ®nd Panar~ta In Cerltral America. The pathogen also secure ore the Caribbean iaiantls of T'rinldad end Tobago. Taalt 1. EstitneEeo Annual Rerdu~4lon in t'oterrtf6ai Cocoa FTOr9uc~an cry Major C?lea®>s~ 8tm6lf~e~d I vfxa ~ ~ n !lf~t0ae r, j x ~ [aoi4~aee) , ~ Lctraol • `k AJ7f~tOphthora P ~~~il ~ a5o az~ .-....A.,~.,~ wltcilC9' Cr/nlpalls N l,~tn ~ ~?rtfcft~ Am®r~c~ ~ ssv zss i Frasty ~ ~iorr!/l~ap!>!>~rora ~ Latin ~ 30~ a1 Pvd Beat 113rtlE°rl s4rnertCY G _ _ 5~ro41~n CS rV ~ APrlca ~ 54 ( 26 Shoat- ka~ ' Cncabasidtu ~a ~ ao i zs d ~ theobrOnhae } G "Janumry, 206t~ v81ue ¦ $6AO.OQ1 m9crla tan. source' The World Coda 86tustwn, M. 'raytar. l.MC lntarnatfonef Ltdlfr®de DiaGUamieno A second funyu5, called MonelPaphrtfiora r+oreri, causes another very damaging disease, frosty pod rat, that al6o desl;roys the cameo beans inside the pods. This pathogen has not yet waved into Bra~li, but has moved beyond Panama in Central America Into Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Vast numbers of air-borne spores of the fungus, which give the cords a frosty appearance, wain undoubtedly spread the disease try tither Cacao grr9wring regions, The disease that causes the most sAridesgread destructlan of _riir~-29-~®etl 11 :1T AM RICHARD H NAKANISHI 65Ei 348 424Ci P_ cj4 A~Snat fs'~.sare~ ~~ao Diseases send liVssrlsi Chocolsus3 Prodtl~trtsa>n P'e 4 ot~ t'1 cargo wortdwtde is buck pod, wttlch Is loused by several spectas of ~ryt~phr~Itara, • fungus-like mleroorganism that comas In ss°vseral fai'irt;:. The s~ost w)despf~ad specis~ are found around the world In ai4 too Orowintd ar'~t96 and cause sporattc tosses. I~ne speeles, la. rr~s~akerya, is sprt:adifsfl throughout 9Nest Africa, the world's premier cae2~o-9rawing arse, and causes rreajor tosses. Vascular-streak dtaback, ~u~d by C~ntcz~sfdre~rn fP~eobrot>?aae and found only in lisle, and stnr4tlen shoot virus disease, found only In W+last Africa, are of relattve4y minor impos~ance compared to the othlar above-mentiones~ diseases. Mont' factors contribs.~t..w to i~ declitl~ Ifs praducxion of cocoa beans worldmvide, including Insect tnfestattons, social pressures to 4rpw other crops, eConortatC Issues that disCS7ursage long-term commitment of smdil acreage fanners to grow the crap, and sactetal pressures to destroy rain forest environments. AIaP~t diseases are major componen4~ of the decline to production. yh?e as plant petilologtsts and mtcroblotCgtsts have as our s°ns~ndata to dtscavar and devise srteans to reduce disease tosses and to save chocolate for the enthusiastic consumers of tl'+es' world. ~lacte P'~d Stack pod disease of Csia:ao Is an economiralty serious prabiern in all areas of the world where cac+~o is grown (Fig. S). Annuei losses due to black pod may range born 30-94~ of the crop. 't'his dtseasa lS especially se,rgre in Vilest and central A~friea which Gontrtbute?s 60-709"0 of the world productipn of cocoa beans, `The disease is caused by a eomplex oP species of Pf?ytaphthore (the genus rserrie e~ive€a by Anton da 8ary in it37& as'~plant destroyer"). Thane pathogens are g, , fungus-itke mtcrs7vrgantsms with a no~~,ppa~sanasal~.~na world-wide distrlbutton, 5peCis:.s of padaea4i+bleekpauldlsesse Pfryt+apfttfrore, such X15 P. ln~rts, the ?~rs~pE~~`m~®rw cause of tats blight of pots~to, are pathogens on most economically tr~nportant trope grown throughout the wand. Previously, isolates of Phytophs'hora from cacao were classified as P. palmlvtara (t3utt.) t3utier. This species has been raCOgntzed as one of ti9e most important pathogens in the tropics, attackinfl m~r,y plantation crops Including cacao, rub0er, bl®ck pepper, Cocs~nut, pineapple, and papaya aS well dS citrus, avocado, and rrt~lrsy ornementaf Ria3nts. ~griy studies o4 the pathogen revea~ted some variattan to the morphology Snd types of lessors .roduced on csacs~a pods among different Isols~tes Uf P. Pelrrrivora from diffawent J ~lPSata:t feature: Caoa$o Iyisea~9 anal World Choc®lt~te Production _ >'aga ~ of t ~ countries. In 1976, Isofat~ of P. ~elmla~ara from Ci3Ca4 were placed into one ®f four morphological groups (~+4P1, MFG, MP3, and fR9±°~). Further 9tudles radafi~aed khe morphological groups. ~'he P1F1 form troas e;onsidea~d ~ bt the typical P, Palonlv~ra, and tfna t+if°a form sums considered t0 be a variant (atypical) f®rm o4 P. p~hrrlvOra. ~°fie ~E~3 forte t+~s d~crBbad a5 a neare Sp~ieS, P. ,vse~ekarya 13raster and Crf~n, and the MF4 form considered to (x P. capslei l.eonian. Phyto~ohtProra p~!/t7lmOra is present in most c®untries on Cameo and lc an important part of the black pod compl~e, wh19e ~ rrtagakarya is present only in 5ev~l oauntrl~ In Vda!!st Afrtci~. Howtver, P. rrpepakarya appears to be more virulent thari P. ~tmivora and is bacomtng the dominant spitdes In Went Afri~, moving from Nigeria and Cameroon Into countries where it has not bieen reported previously. In the major cacao- growing region of ~ahla, igr2rxtl, three species have been impflcate4; P. p+alm/vora, P, capssel, and P. C~vhi~ra (Smith and smith) L.eOnlan. Phytopht/r~r capsicl appears to be the dorelinant an4 most Important sped~s attacking cacsa In sra~it, and also has been report+ad to oce~,ar In otl°ier COUntrles In Central grad south An9erlca, as weN as in the West Indies, Indonesia, and India. ~'PBy~pPr96hora cOtnaQhthora is the feast common species Pound in ~raall, but i>s the host virulent, Phyto~hthora Oaevcae ~`horiopson also has bean impflcatet9 to cause black pod In some c+~untrl~- Although Phytaphtdaore species attack ali parts of the cat~ao plant, the major eeonomlc loss is from In9`ection of the pod (Fig. 6). Pods or cherelies {immature pads) naay be Infested at any place on the surface, but lnfeetfon is most os:ten Inlttated at: the tip or stem end. The disease caaases a Frrrn, spreading, chocolage-brown lesion on the pod, and eventually covers ttte whole pod. "P'ha beans inside kf9ae pod may remain undarraaged for several days after fnttial infection began5 in the husk, thus frequent harv+astlny may prevent rrauch yield loss. In advanced Infections, PhytophthOra Invades the internal pod dssaaes and musts disco9oratlon and shrlveliny of the cocoa beans. Diseased pads eventually become black grad t'raummify. ~t pathogen also will c®use a seedling blight In cacao nursar9e~s as a result of InPectton of the stem and yroung leaves (Fls• 7). ~ ,I . .,~p ;.Y 'f ?~1( 5~:.: d ...4. 1e ' '4 ~ ?i 71 w. =,~ir,1n, psi. ~ . Fir} e. 81at9t peal tae yr 'fig. T. ~eodiUsB bkgh4 of aaoao . APSsret ~e~turo, +~ai' l~is~ases and W®rld Chocol®te Prac4uctian Fa~c 6 of ~ 7 osaea ctu9sd 4ay s.~ueed by P. s®N® {Click 6~''3yt In Go9t4 R1t~s ImRlp~ 90P I.Y.I~'~ (C k immpA gar 1l1f9ld 1dsl~t) ThQ InoCUium that lnitlat~s bIa51~e, pod ran coma from the sail and/or $nfected roots, sterns, and leaves. foot inflectlpn from residual so$B $noCU$uaYi usually $s not an eeonOrnic concern, how@ver, the; pathogen Is c~pablt of produdng spores on elf infected parts. 'thus, Infected roots rraay serve as a sauree of inotuiurn far Infection of the pods. irk and stem esrnkers may funCtlot9 in the Same ~tanmer. Qnr~ a pod Is infected and sparulatfng, !t rruay then prbvida a massive source of inoculun~ to infect oti~ter pods fn a v4clous fie. Under humid conditions, sporangia (asexual reproduetlve structures and a source of secondary inaculurvo) may form on the surface: of infected roots, Cankers, or diseased pads (Fig. S}. °rhls type of propagu$e Can be dlsper~d in rainfall, splashing water, and avatar moving over the surfaces of tl~s 5011, When sporangia are In free water, zopspores are ¢oo~nraed insid@ the sporangia and PeleaSed $rlta th@ Wat@r (F$g. Zoasli®nes are matlle spores that e~iveiy sw$nn tavmards an ir~fect~an site, and era the primary Infeet$ve prvpa?gu6as. Thus, wlndbarne rain Is a primary gactar In the spread of the disease. Ants also have been reported to transport inoculum. ys r. ~ L r q,t~~. Y,~ . . -.q. p9P®,n~~ a# ~t~,'S: ~pogan9tum ®nd x~nomp®v~ u aP qtr i~n9~~d ¢ed {n lCredc ien~e for larger ki4~) (pmue4eay Pi~vre Ropes' Tondl~) iG~ {rre®go Contrai of black pad is difficult because ~h~tc?phthora can persist in Sbli and debris gar several years, Additionally, s;nCe 5uscepzibie pods may be present on khe try most of the year, the pathogen may always be present in ire canopy, ready to cause major epidemics when pnvlTOnrt~ental eundltions become favorable for 5pprulation and dispersa$. Frequent harvesting will Ibsen the danger of spread of the dlsen5e from Infected pods. Regular pruning to remove 1nfeCted chupons (small suckers at the base of the tree) and tc? Increase air circulation (which should redut~ the humidity under the canopy) Is 8n Important dis®ase rnan8~ement tool. Sanltarye nl~easures and th~C remova$ of infected pods anc4 husk piles may have some ef4~t on disease Control. Ho~rever, under high rainfall conditions +t is Ak'Snet feature: Cacao Dise~ises and World Chocolate Prodt~ctian - r ~ or ~ i . " difflauft to ~ffi~entiy suppress tote Inocuium t0 attain control. Chan~tl~! corttrof rely on the use of upper and metalaxyl-bated p~tlcidea, Nowev+~r, ~fs~ are not entlrtrly effective, and are eacpensive Par tr9e sstxali farmer and thus not econorrtlCafty fees~ibie. ~?ddit6ona8!y, there are cnvironrttentel Cont~rns r~arding iris heavy use of chemicals in the tropical rainforests, and there ray be prablerrts with non-target effects and resistance by the pathogen. At present, there is no acCeptahfe genetic resistance in cacao for contro! of black pod. Active research !5 underway in !abora~tories throughout the world on this Important dise85e ofi Cacao. Cont~°ol measures being investigated dre alerted at integrated pest rnanay®ment (IPPR) strategies, and ineiude bioloplcat control mlcroarganlsms, genetic and induced resistance, cultural practices, natsiraB products, and iinnlted use of cherrtieals. ~dB~h~a' ,r6 Witches' broom disease, mused by the fungus Cri~ipelOls pernlGo~ {Mahe!) Singer (#o~erly 9+fara~t~lt3 perre~closvs}, was first reported in 1895 From Surinam and Is currently found in r~ seroeral countries of South America and Caribbean islands. 1"he disease is initiated by basfdlospor~ produced and released from ptnk!sri nRUShraoms called basldloesrps (Fig. 14), and dispersed by wind and rain onto leaves, flowers, and fruit (pods) of ~,g, tQ, aa~Erocro, cacao giants. It is estlrr~ated that a p®rn;+~d~+ars~eyscora single basldioararp can release $4 to 90 ate, Arts Irnarm~aon n1111ign basidlospares. Fn the pre58nce sc~tq (C11ek cmap®tor l~rprs vi~1 of free moisture (rain and dew) and high relative hurrtidlty, basidiospores germinate and penetrate young and actively grooving rneri~5tentatic tissues In vegetative and floral buds through stomata, epidermis, or trichornes. 'The zotonl~ed tissues undergo various phystnlo9icaai and hormone! changes leading to t!ssuc swelling and ¢ormatinn of numerous surxttlent veget®tive branches, known as brooms, within flower Cushions (Fig. 11) and an vegetative apical (Fig. 22) ar.d axillary buds. Vita tiraam9 are usually fiorrned within 5 to 6 weeks follorving infection, Yne fungus also Infects pods causing necrotic desions and une~ren ripening, and various deformations. Bro®ms and 'infected pods become progresslvety brawn and dry, and within 3 to S months after broom bnd pod drying, basldiocarps (FIQ, 13) 8re forrt?ed fpllowing several alternating rust and dry periods. r ~~6 APSnet future: Cagan I7iseai?es end 1~6+orld Chocolate Production ~ ~ - Pam 13 of 17 {proat~a) rttlal~ing ttan ri ter ®aaahk+n Inter 54+ C. +Ba (iCilok irk fior i~'~1tla~t}. F19. tarrngd tr.~ arb as tP!t ~~1 tbr.n~ an ap4ctai vegetiDttvs twd a~'a dty brO4i'h v[td as~d by C. p~rnrdoBa (Click in1~Ct6d a4th C. pee~sdoae vstago POr IdC~r. je~4,w.)• f {;llde itsoa~ i0F ! Yf9~1 WitClteS' broom debilitates z Cacao trees by di~eertin4 energy to the numerous brooms that dd not form . fioa~ers, thus reducing yield pot+=nttal. Further yield loss is Ir~ta~rred by 4he prevention of 'seed fprrr~at4on Iri pods inPecte® early in their d~lopment, or if seetfs are farmed prior to infs~rtlnn rtaPy stay b~ rendered URUSable ~IQ. ,d. coo c~oa ~ depending on the extent of uctoa~~iaavi+tg.la$iontinmirosu~fa4s pod colonization by f and ®xtansive ratthq o4 thq {aauat®9y dose Benson mnd d~ndo r~ceuo) {cock pernlClDSd (Fig. 1$) , In Its i,,,e„<~.. !s..~bt:~.tC~!i aau~aar7~l hebit~! Af t~11~ Arne7nniagn fnrt°~5t. t•~~eQ 15 found as scattered understory trees which are gLnetlC<y varlable~ a characteristic that hampers the deveimpment of epld+cmits of witCh€s' broorrr. 'rhe cuftlvatlon of cacao hes intensified over the years as cocoa has progressively became T~ d L~ ~s a Y. l_ly ~~~Q~Y 1$A1LLrt ~ f^i94'~PIKi ~ l~~ii~firi~ ~Or~tB C[1RJ{~Ifif~ riil5al~et~Q~ r a~~. ~ oZ ! ~ a 9fobal trade commodity. production envir~mants that enGOUraq~ ~e pl>~aiting oP eecao varieties with little genetic dfverslk~r ensure a ~ni~dnl; sui~piy of susceptible tissuir for infection by +r. perrildosa. Management of witches' broom hair recttved considerable attention frorrti fibs beginning of the 20m Century. broadly, there are four nna~ar 5trategi~ that may be adopted: phytosae~ltation, chemical control, genetic resistance, and biological control, i hy0osani~tlon, by rernov8i and destruction of disa~ased plant parts, has been shown to reduce pod lass and delay diseasar epidemics. However, this strategy iS tedious and In onq study it has bin spawn that 9SWo removal is required to a~ieve 5086 raduetion in ppd loss. AlthOUgh feasfble, chemical control of witches' broom with pratecctant and systerrilc fungicides it not a routine practice ;n cocoa production because of high Gosh end risks aSSOCiate[l with COGOB bean contaritl~abti~bn and environnnentaf health. The development of genetically resistant cacao wltivars l9 an on-going endeavor in mt,ny countries stricken by writchePs' broom, and It is expected that the use of these Cultlvars would reduce the incodenca of the dl~aiae, ProSp&:CtS of rnanaginfl witches' broom disease of cacao through biolepical control have bean envisaged and inveStlgatLd for over ZU years leading to the isolation of a new Species of TrlchOa~erma, TrfcChoderma str~mat~i~currr, a pardSBte Vn the mycelium and basldioGarps oP C. pemeceb~a. In Brazil, Commercial farrv~u4ations o4' 7: stror~aafiCarrr? are currently ~~4 in managlny wishes' broom. However, InCOnslStant pe*rfortrtanGe Of `T 9tPL7iPr'at1C11m In Cacao indicutes the Head for further understandlrui of the relationship of the cacao plantation environnnent to the survive4 and establishment of this mycoptsrasitic fungus. Co118bOrative research efforts by sc#entlStS at research institutions in the United ~atat~'3 and Central and South Americas ere currently underway to optimize the use of T. si~rrraticum. l=roaty P!~ &iot Frosty pod rat (or Moniliophthora pod rat), caused by Monlldophl~hara rorerV (Ciferl a, i~arodi) Evans et al., origlnaily deSCrit?ed in 193 as ltifondtla rorerl, Fs a devastating disease or cacao pods. T'he pathogen sponas (canidla, the only known infeCtlva: propagules) Infect ey penttra~tlnq the surface of Che Dods. 'she pods- are highly rot oar asus~ ey susceptibie during ttxe first ~;~y„~,,,~,~,~,,,~ 90 days of their growteh. The spas on tk~ pod saartmoe (cook i~rraye ~ ~~ar:-29-~p~ii 11 ~L Af~1 RICHARD H t~Wr;ANiSHI 650 34S ~24F7 ~$I3et faatUrG, Cacao Diseases asad `~VOrid Cht~filate ~i0d<U0$t4RS k' iU aI 11F _ I ~a early syttiptamS InCltade ~raRC.!?. erase of swelllnq an the pods with dlscoiarattan f®Ilw~eed by a dense ~ormatlnn of hll~YY~ cream-catered spares, the sa-called frosty Gad, that develap ot~ the pad su~~ t~ltttin 2 w+~ks {Flfl. 15). 'fhe arse of the ood wig sporulatian then sprea83s reptdly and spare denaltles haore beets estimated to be as high es 4Q mlllian conid'+a ptr square centimeter. The spares ate later released by wind or try wrater droplets during rainy periods. ~ I lrrasty pod rat occurs an alt Ttl`en~r~ma and related t~rrantm Specter. a. Rorer (1927-1925) Prst reported she cll;te whsle an a stlentlfiC trip to Ecuador to bnvestigat~ reaspns for gerlous 1a55es in yields due to the diseases. a _ 'The dlse8se c+urrer+tiy is restrlCted to northwest South America {IAeuedar, I'~ru, Colorrthl~) astd ~utl'O Central AmerlCa {iVlctsragua, Cow ~ic~ aatd Panama). t~Qwever, 9s: It +5 an imn'aedlate threat tai Braxs{, v~ns~ttaiaihmpi,s~oraaaot which is one of the largest Cacao deeapodscovaredwiEhapwveof ro+~in areal: in South America. M. rov~rt fs a a~s~at~nt aesataa a4 ~ 8 ~nawium {Clk~ imcgs ter 1~.+~~ Ylelti losses have been estirrfatetl beLW@en 25°Io to total 1055 of the crap if frequent (7•J.U day Scheslule5) phyR05a9r}I1.asi y +ne~stsrea arm net implc+rrapnt~d. 1'he most ecAnomical vday of contralitng the spread of the disease 15 to eliminate tl~ infection sources, which are dead spOt`ulatln{I pads {Fig. 16), with frequent harvests on r~ular cycles. Dther pracCtces s4~ould Include reduetlon of tree r,eight (maximum 3.5 m) to facilitate ren74val of diseased Duds, biot4gtsal Contras, and planting of resistant or tvier~nt cu~itivars as thegr becarrae ~tvallabte. In view of the diffkulty fn tinca~ng a pracu~.ai and coat effarcti~re fungicidal treatment, alternative control strategies, such as b1o(aglcal control are btinp investigated In Peru, Panai~na, and Carta aic~d to rnans~ge frosty pod rot. °rhls +nvolves the use of naturally occurring fungal agents !mycaparasitcs} capable at parasitizing the pathogen and preventlrag the dlspersai of fungal spores (Flg. 17}. 5apro#ihytlc fungi belonging tb the genus Trichnderm~ and Glonvst'ach~s, selected for their parasitizing cap~lGity, are being tested in field trials. F96-weekly to monthly sprays of biocontr~l ag~:nts have been shovers to reduce the production of COnidia on diseased pods (hlg. 181. 8lvtontrol treatment slang with phytosanltatlon has reduced pod (ors and Increased yie{ds in previausty abans~oned cacao GiBntations. ='y-1:!101 1 1 ~7 AM F.' I CHARD H NAKAr•I I SH I 659 _ 348 424E P.~~I AF'Sbet feattue: Cacao Diaea~s and world Chocolate P~odu+dtion P 11 of i 7 ~x . t 1~3 r+ ail ~ are tam 4e dot I passe(~+p ~~aii~an and aor~tgl ( sPOi®8, 'rPo~ Past ors the tlgfit not ah0uki bs oprispad (Cgck Ns~a~ 4ttt }~po~.,~'~a+A. srrorvt tv~tat n&Plyfng biob~iCal contrrii aQa~rdb or p~tk~ose~) (CUCk isr~o for Major genetic improverr?ant Forts are underwagr to Costa Rica, Calombta, and Ecuador to seleet 4eeaotypes resistant or tolerant to M, rore°r1, and new hybrid clones ere bein+~ dtstrit)uted to ferrraers (Fig, 1~). i3reeding for dl9ease evoidanee may t~ one of the safest methods to reduce field losses, as this form of resistance is le*~ vuinerable to adaptive changes by the pathogens. For e~carnpte in Ecuador, disease flosses due to Pf. r+esr~rf were found to be lower in tr>~ that bring a high proportion of t8~elr tote! pods to makurity d~rong the (star months of the dry seasons or early in the oust season, thus avoiding tondltions that flavor disease deve4opment, ,9 _ ~ • or a?o~eaas ~ Colo {tsaur~y JDea RanAdn said 0?I®isdtr Nguasllo) {Cllots Vnswga flop I~fS14L ~®6'I~tiC ~6t9~ Ii9dblo~~l ~ea9ncds !iT ~C~68 ` 3 '~°'"s' Cacao is en open polirnated (cross ~ .~.4f'.,~".,~ breeding) SpeCirls. 'his poses ;,~~i; _ difncuities when firying t~ Irnprove ~~~-~'tH.cL H 1~,1-i1KF1N15H1 x.513 34b 424© F• . 6 2 AFSrget features Cacao I?ise~sas aYtd ~+lorld Chocols~#e Production Pam 12 0~' 17 p~li~lll~ll~ Such CharaC'kerlStPGS ~ been i ~ ,k+' quality and yie9d, or dlt?ease and itlse+ct reslstar~e 4n ~aC$0. Indlvids~al try b®aring beneflciel tracts tali to produce offspring that cor+5istentiy bear the same traits. l~Phen fbrsners select saw from ttretr-best trees the reseaitlnp trees are alien of poor quality, produce qp lows yields, and are s~ass,.epttble to i~ ~ t~ ~ dlse~s and Inseam. the only katlMADmitl °'tt° s r°'` way to produce trees of u nlforrv~ ;ct~Gcimeg®fart6li~vl~f~ high quality is by ves~etative propagation rCSUlttng to exact clones of the parent tree. A number of meg~ttve propagation meth®ds have bean developed, These include low-t~h r®oted cutting and gr~ttng techniques {>~ig. 20) as well as high-tech tissue culture and rn9icroprap8gatlon techniques (dig. 21). Unfortunately, high-tech solutions are expensive, regtairfng governrrsent or industry suppar~ t0 implei'traes'It, and taw-t+i~h soliettons .are slew. Cansidering the intensive pressure from diseases and ir4Sects On the world cacao crop, these techniques tail to meet the farmers' needs for high quality se+?dNngs. A combination mf low-tech and high-tech methods has bin vvork+ed cut and ol~ers hape for the production of large numbers of high quality seedlings in the future. r,m .s;,. . ~ i . ~r~r,,.a: ~t~. 4, #~o ¢ iw u® cu~urs {ClieAt iev star There is great potential for accele~ting the Improvement of cacao using traditianat plant breeding enhanced by molecular ge~'iettCS techniques. °Y'hese techniques a14aw breeders to malnCatn and Combine Irnporttsnt agronclrv9iC traits Controlled by many genes, such as yield and disarm resistance, in their breeding populations, snit produce nevr varieties for release with trwes^ generations tc f~ermetrs. breeders often have Umlted access to the bit gerrtiplasm sources. Sor~ae of the sources have yet to be d1SCOVea'ed in wild populations in Sauth and Central American forests or may be located to coliac#tons separated by great distances and national boundaries. 'through tntern8tionai callaborations, scientists using molecular techniques are attemptsng to catalague and Cheracterize the genetic d(versity In the world's cacao populations, including bath wild pppuldtians and po~ulatl®ns under cuttivatlon. Yt is estimated that there are 18,OO0 cacao accegstons in JUt•a-.y-~ppl 11 :3p qM RICHF+RD H tVAY.'gNI3HI 5~~~ 348 4~4[i F'. Fi4 ,4PSi~t fesYUre. ~sc~ Dishes estd'UVorld Chocalate Production Page 13 of 17 collections worldwide and these accessions can be grouped ?itto 2'x'00 to 3U~3 gettetlc groups (Fig, 22}, ion aiddltinnaisl 30Q to '~Q0 geroetlc groups may exist In wqd populations. As in®re to learned abaut the ~uorld'a eases poputatians, wa should be better ab4me to ~cpt0lt this valuable resource ko improve root vr~ty production of chocolate btu tfse t;ve5 of the many srriap farrraers dependent on cacao production worldvvldC. T'he Eombillat;lorl of medern plant breeding erod plant propagation tecFtinlques shavld allow these itv'tprOv+et~it9rmts to have Impact fln global +~eao production more raia6diy Stan ever thoug4~t possible in the p®st. ~lrersxy iE! ~ ~9 of cmcao GloOc it~r ' The ges~etiG control of disease resistance traps tin be simple irrvtslving a Single ~ol1e, or coanpt~c, iiyvolviitig many gesre3. Resistance to some disease in cacao i1sS atreaxdy b@en idohtifded lit Sortie ii~stefiZ~ tjiit, it'3ehtic~ttetl, 'the limitations to increasing tt~e nurt~ber of to carrying that resistance prevent its ao~de spread use. lit addition, pathogon populations differ be~een cacao production areas Sd that reSiSt~f~~ ttibt 15 effe~ctl"ve iii otl~ area t~iay totally fall to provide di~ase control In another area. ldovel disease control metttndS such as blocantrol of d65ease using benelFttiai micro®rganisrrls {Fig. 23) can, to sorrte cases, function regardle~ of the genetic beCkgrOUhd. ~tocdn~l offers a potential disease CAn>rroi strategy for the Cacao trees pr~etitty u'tlder CuttlvaUan. Most, if not ail, plant species QoSSeSS the ability to res4st diseases deveioprrsent. Disease deve4bps ~r35en the p6eNi:'s defe~Se r`t°ieGt~i9~4iSrriS ere riot activated. TFels phenomenon has provided the reasoning behind i:he development of a neat cases bf dl,ea$e control compounds ti~at activate plant defense rrtechanlsms ailoswinq eiti otYaer~aiSe 5u5eepEible plerit t0 prC3teCt itself. `C'tie5a". Eyfies of compounds are nosy being tested far disease control in coca®, ' ~Ot'1're of the Sege factors that Ilmlt the potential for using tredttlone~i chemise! control measures itmlt the use of biocontroi. Cacao is often grown in rCrY4ott brews and as an ~:nderstary try. °Ci7is, corszbf red with the Imw rnarkat vaiGe 4or the product .7UN-'~9-taEi 1 1 1 Ap7 R I CHFaRD H NFiliFal•I I Sli I bSE~ 348 424E1 F' . 0 5 ~PS~t feat;~are: ~acata Diseases and ~Iorld Chocolate Production Pale to of I to ~eontra dlieee~~oro cacao (CNdc image and the hlph CO~t of Suppiies ra~i.~~ar..~e~)- and lal~r, often tttake any dISe~91e Control strategy requiring requierly~cheduled applications itnandaliy irnpras~iCal, Perhaps stn aptlmuttt disease rrlartagt~tv~ent strategy would brr t® Identify beneficial microorganisms kh$t pet~is$ in the cacao can®py and root systems and provide disease Control without regular spray appiltations. These types syf Organis>tv7s, epiphytes, tndopitytes, and ntycorrhizae~ exist In cacao and are beln9 studied for their beneficial effects. Yt is posslbie that micro®rganlsms that intiuCe resistance to disease and inse:c~ in eacao can be Ider?tified. The use of these mlcro4rganisr»s could resuit in tong term disease tAntr01 with limitBd C®St to the far~ser and ectuaiiy be beneflcla! to the eatvlronment. $ op~t~i~ i~ira~~~e~n The chocolate Indatstry is kter~ly savers of tits requirement for hn adequate StrApIY of cocoa besets of Consistent quality. Therefore, It 65 essentla6 that the lndustsy and aN bts esmmc4stod lrgttitutianfi and int~r~t~ aLOD4rfi *~~lttttific research Orr Cacao and Its produd~ In key areas sash as production, lntegrateo pest a~ disea:~ rree!"ti~l~CriRtRl•, ge~npiasrn cons~r~atlon and irr~pravemettt, and biotechnoStagy. The cacao research community ig internaCional in scope. Industry, trade organia8tion~s, government, and non-go~vernmen$ organisations ~ppart the Cprrtpretlerisr~re e#+Forc to asltira;»s ~Zalagltasl, ~aiai, pmt ®nd Qisr~esr rrtr~n7lp~,tll~fiS<r ~sronomier rind cacao intproveetterit concerns, The USd~1/AFCS alone has formal ana Inrorrnao estarela agreoment. with mane ore~an9r~tlttn5, IRCiudinq those iistee! in T3bBe 2, and with other government and nonW gavernrnenC organizations, and universities. ~ae.la p- Or~sr4~otlvrrc uo$i fann~l ru ±ntnemi6l ta~gfCh i9r6~~+~ with uSDAl,4FR& flr+paaol~iil~+ ~~utetry ~Cfu U~l1 IMb.M Mars Corp, u3A USAID USA: QCAD OAS Gt81-B1osclr u+c SCNAS~ Para rFP4 4~1~ :FP~G 3raz11 Corpo6ca Ca4omi?in Cd11'IE ^ntata RICd ]RAD/TTTA +`ttm~eaon Smlth5on6an tnst ; STFtY) Panams Unlv@r56ty 9f MaMand US/l inn State UMverslty UrA ~u .I.I~ i•~~ heals of ouch in tnirlativr i'S the` development and promotion of sustainable cacao agriculture, _T L; hl-29-2'pEii 11 :~1 APl RIr_.HAF.D H NAkpNISHI ESt3 348 42=iQt P_ ~i6 APSnet faat»: Cficao I?is~taes and World Choaolau P~rodaction Pale i s of i ~ defined by lrtae Rrnericas~ Cocoa Research institute (1~arttl) as ",.,t;he production practlt~s In which the smat4 acreage Parrnar' ireereas~; or rv~alrstains pr~ui:,tivity at: levels ti7at are econongtcaily viable, etalogfcaily sound, and culturally BcCaptable, through the efficient management of resources.'. Cult+vatian cif cacao avithln a sustainable, biologlCatiy diverse agricultural system also provides habitat to important forest and mlgratary bard and mamma! species. In lventrai and South Ar~+rica, and In Africa, strataglc preservation Of r8in forest remnants and the dev~ilopment of forest links have offered hope to the effarffi to preserve rain forest environr'a7eaat5, Sustatnabla cacao will not cniy help the cocoa and chocolate manufacturers maintain a constant and reliable sa~ppiy Of raw material, but tt will also aid in th~a global efforts to conserve tropical forest ecosyst;arris and move srrvatl farmers info a snore favorabta economy. According t+D A. M. Young, prehtstvrtc peopieg in Mesoarnerica had the correct approach to fanning cacao. Reiatively X11 cacaa orchards +onclosed by for~t$ or set within tl, diversified plots of various apps mvtthin the forest optirnizertl the Chances far !~lgh productivity, pollination and containment of disea~s and insects under these conditions eraay have been better than what i5 typicaity fr~a~nrl in I~r~£, fn~?rtoculturewtypt plant:atlans today, The chatlengas of disease +CpiphytQtlcs, ins u~i'r_aLa~lv„3, Saar paftlnatian, and Chernicat farttlization were minimtxed bu4a of` the potyCUlt:ure practl~s of the Mayans, Aztecs, and oth+vr mes4at~erican pabapie. They knave that growing "the food of the gods" in smali graves reaped can5idarabte Harvests. :lrtiderstar~ding the components of cncaa crop management is esser~tiai to growing sustainable cacao. fine impact of diseases such as black pod, caused by PPiy'lbphtho~a spp., witches broom, caused by C perrairiosa, and frosty pod rat, caused by M. r+ored, wits continue to be devastating unt}t progress i5 made to control these diseases. Short term solutions such as cl~ernlcal fungicides are often cost prvhibittve, may be damaging to the environment, and leave undesirable residues in ttae product. Long tetra solutions such as btoteehnotoglcai approaches ter breeding for disease rEStstanc~ are time-consuming to develop and are not readily available for lt~medtate application. 'The most trnmediate answer to that disea~ problems is to use avhat toots are presently available in an integratard approach, Theca Include Nmited biofogiCal cx>ntroi methods and dls8ase-resistant material, Crop Ssinitation to remove diseased material as a source of lnoculuPn, and Guttural prdCtiCeS, including shade aptimlxatian, pruning, and so+( fertility management. As stated by Young, the cacao tree is truly a creature +~f nature and is cv~ltivated in a relative?y iarimltive way compared to modern rover crop agriculture. It may be .7LiN-29-201 1 1: 32 A~5 R I CHFiRD H NAKAN I SFi I 6°SD 348 4240 P. E+T .4.P$taai f~: Cacao Dis~sea W®rPd Chocolate Proda~ction P 16 of 17 comp~411ng t® prv~Ct thi3 r~malning tropical agr0- ecosyst ~ ~nst~r® tt~a ~r®rld's coveted sa,pplY of ch®colat~, ar+d at thata sama~ tlm+e pr~srves many more bialaQlcal riches 4r~tesrat~d Into the tompiex fabric of troplta4 dlvEtrSlty. ~~~r~nc~ Brasier, C. M. arxt Gs9fY6tt, M. 7. 19?9. 'taxononny of Plsytosora pa/rnNOra or coCaaB. Trans. Sa'. MlyCOi. SoC. X2:111-143. Erwin, D. C. dntt Rits+~ro, O. K. 1896. F7f~+do~pl~Phora [Hseases Woridwlde, APS mss, Pad, MH. 562 PP• Qvans, H. C., Edwards, P 1~., anQ R.adr4guex, 9N. 1977. Raseterch on cocoa diseases in Ecuador: past adld present. PARS 23:58.60. £van9, ii. C, Brad PriCr, C. 1887. Cocoa pad casras: tausat ~nss ane! control. 4utt~4c ens Aafrtcufture 16:35-a 1. Evans, H. C., Stadp@ts. A., Sampsmn, it. A., and Bdclny, G. L. 1978. On ehe - ~........a...r ns69vy~n h1'rriaenlrrorrra ce~tto In h9EMpR,1' FULL