Resolving the high cadmium levels in cocoa in Peru

The project aims to increase farmers income by the production and export of quality fine flavour cocoa and in addition diversify farmers -now producing other annual crops in areas with low Cadmium levels- income with switching to high yielding fine flavour cocoa.

Due to recent EU legislation around Cadmium content in the soil of cocoa farmers, the development of the Peruvian cocoa sector in general and the income and access to the market Peruvian for farmers in particular is in urgent need for diversification and the application of interventions.

project summary:

Research shows that one third of the cocoa farms has elevated Cadmium content (above 2 ppm) one third moderate but still too high (between 1-2 ppm) and that one third is actually below the norm of 1 ppm. Therefore the project aims to:

1.   Identify which farms have unacceptable Cadmium levels through mapping, as they can be different within a same zone due to soil content.

2.   The cocoa’s with moderate Cadmium levels: implement practices to reduce to acceptable levels. 

a.   agronomical practices; improving soil pH, applying Biochar, liming, fertilizer plans, removal of leaves

b.   training of farmers to implement effective practices

3.   Install new high yield fine flavour cocoa on degraded land and unsustainable rice paddies and other annual crops and land with low Cadmium levels; research shows that newly established fields have low Cadmium content and therefore are very suitable for cocoa planting. This will include training farmers in farm management and farm maintenance.

Note that we are always talking about Fair Trade Organic Fine Flavour cocoa.

All partners in this project, all experts in their respective fields, are working together to solve this problem for the NorAndino farmers directly but with the important note that this project – and thus their efforts - will also contribute significantly in providing an example function, crucial experience, learning, feedback and information which will catalyse larger scale implementation of Cadmium reducing measures in the rest of the country and the region. This will benefit all cocoa farmers in Latin America in the end.    

Update: 

This project was submitted to SDGP in 2019. Unfortunately the project was rejected for subsidy for reasons of e.g too experimental. The Cadmium problem in cocoa is still present. We continue to look for funding in order to support the farmers in Piura in solving this problem.