Pests and diseases cause serious yield losses to cocoa
production worldwide. Although there are non-chemical ways to
manage them, the use of agro-chemicals is currently unavoidable.
Meanwhile, cocoa consuming countries have expressed their
concerns regarding the health risks associated with the use of
agro-chemicals in cocoa production. As a result, some cocoa
importing countries have enacted legislative and regulatory
measures on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards that have
to be met by imported cocoa. The food safety concerns that
affect cocoa relate to pesticides residues and other harmful
substances such as Ochratoxin “A” (OTA), Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons (PAH), Free Fatty Acids (FFA) and heavy metals such
as lead and cadmium. The pesticide residue regulations published
by the European Union (EU), the USA and Japan, if not properly
adhered to, could affect cocoa trade and consequently deprive
cocoa smallholder farmers and their governments of much needed
revenues required for poverty allevia