This year, ECOTOP was invited to Singapore to join the Farmers Network Exchange and Congress, where insights from ECOTOP’s 30-year-old Dynamic Agroforestry training center and the long term Farming System Comparison (SysCom) in Alto Beni, Bolivia were presented. The Farmers Network Exchange was part of the Cocoa Association of Asia (CAA) International Cocoa Conference 2024, held in Singapore from September 12-13, 2024. This exchange aimed to bring together cocoa farmers from various regions for a pre-conference workshop, focusing on knowledge sharing and sustainable farming practices.
During the workshop, participants discussed key topics such as climate change adaptation and market access. Farmers from all over the world contributed to this initiative, offering diverse perspectives and experiences. Insights from these discussions were later shared during the main conference sessions, providing a platform for farmers’ voices within the broader industry dialogue.
Conversations with farmers revealed that, regardless of continent, they face similar challenges, including low cocoa yields, pest and disease infestations in young cocoa trees, and an aging farming population. It became evident that a paradigm shift in farming systems is necessary. History has shown that relying on high chemical fertilizer use, pesticides, and herbicides may lead to short-term productivity gains. However, these practices often result in increased pest and disease pressure, eventually making farming economically unviable. A more holistic approach is needed, and one potential solution is Dynamic Agroforestry.
