ONCE the undisputed monarch of Jamaica’s agricultural landscape, cocoa finds itself in a state of decline, plummeting from its peak of 2738 metric tonnes in 1982 to a meagre 711 to 220 metric tonnes today. This downturn not only jeopardises the country’s ability to create value-added cocoa products but also raises questions about its standing in the global marketplace.

“Jamaica is among the fine flavour-producing countries, contributing between four and five per cent of the world production,” said a concerned Dennis Buddo of Jamaica Cocoa Sector Development Alliance.

Contrastingly, Côte d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) claims the throne as the world’s largest cocoa producer, contributing around 4.9 million metric tonnes in the last cocoa season. Buddo attributes Jamaica’s cocoa struggles to “very poor and inefficient management of the sector”, advocating for a massive replanting programme to rejuvenate cocoa production. However, data from the agriculture ministry reveals the looming threat of the frosty pod rot disease, a highly contagious ailment devastating cocoa crops since its discovery in Jamaica in 2016. This disease has caused severe damage, reducing crop yield by up to 80 per cent annually, and potentially contributing to the decline in cocoa production while hindering the development of value-added products. Compounding the crisis, cocoa producers have in the past expressed dissatisfaction with selling their beans to the Jamaican Government at less than half the market price, further destabilising the industry.

Despite these challenges, Buddo asserts there is a demand for cocoa across the globe, and Jamaica needs to get in quickly.

“The market for pharmaceuticals for cocoa is getting larger than the confectionary market,” Buddo told Jamaica Observer.

In expounding, Buddo referenced dark chocolate as the best thing for diabetes, and lotions and creams for skin care. When the Business Observer researched the pharmaceutical benefits of cocoa we mostly discovered benefits related to the consumption of the crop. According to rxlist.com the consumption of cocoa may be possibly effective on various health conditions:

1. High Blood Pressure: Most research indicates that consuming dark chocolate or cocoa products for 2-18 weeks can lead to a reduction in both the top number (systolic blood pressure) by 2.8–4.7 mmHg and the lower number (diastolic blood pressure) by 1.9–2.8 mmHg in individuals with normal or high blood pressure.

2. High Cholesterol: Overall, most research suggests that cocoa products do not significantly improve cholesterol levels in people with high cholesterol.

3. Heart Disease: Some studies propose that healthy elderly men who consume a substantial amount of cocoa from dietary sources exhibit lower average blood pressure and a reduced risk of death from heart disease and other causes. Additionally, cocoa or chocolate consumption appears to enhance the function of the inner lining (endothelium) of blood vessels, potentially reducing the risk of heart disease.

4. Constipation: Early research suggests that daily intake of cocoa husks and beta-fructosans can alleviate hard stools in children with constipation.

5. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Early research suggests that the consumption of 45 grammes of chocolate daily for eight weeks may reduce fatigue, anxiety, and depression while enhancing overall functional abilities in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Some pharmaceutical producers have also developed cocoa supplements to offer the benefits listed above. Furthermore, according to
DrugBank.com, cocoa butter is recognised for its skin-moisturising properties. Contrary to many beliefs locally that cocoa butter aids in the reduction of stretch marks, experiments conducted did not support this claim. Cocoa butter does, however, remain a common active ingredient for preventing skin dryness in cosmetic and skincare products.

Despite these health benefits, without a reliable source for a consistent supply of cocoa, pharmaceuticals and other by-products face unreliability in the market.

“You couldn’t approach those persons who are doing those high-end places for palaces and kings; they don’t care about the price you are selling — they want the fine-flavoured product. And when we position ourselves with one foot in and one foot out of that marketplace, when the other foot drops out you will not be able to get that foot back inside there again,” Buddo warns.