A world-first project for Mars Wrigley chocolate has planted its roots in Cairns

It might appear like a small cocoa crop, but there are big hopes a new planation in Cairns will help farmers worldwide and improve climate resilience in a first for this global confectionery giant. Find out what chocolatey goodness is in store here.

It might appear like a small cocoa crop, but there are big hopes a new planation in Cairns will help farmers worldwide and improve climate resilience in a first for global confectionery giant Mars Wrigley.

The crop, planted at James Cook University late last year, is investigating syntropic ecosystems – an approach where several different crops such as bananas, cassava, mangoes, shade trees, and grasses were planted together with the cocoa to support each other’s growth.

Project manager Samantha Forbes said the diverse crops could help cocoa farmers gain more secure, stable incomes. Photo: Supplied/Veronica Sagredo

Project manager Samantha Forbes from Mars Sustainable Solutions said replacing traditional monocrops with the new approach would give cocoa farmers more secure incomes.

“The idea behind it is to provide additional income for cocoa farmers through all these other crops, as well as a more stable income across the year so that each farmer can reach a decent standard of living. That’s what we aim for,” Ms Forbes said.

“With cocoa seedlings you’ll wait maybe five years to get a good yield … if we have an extreme drought or extreme flood, or pests and diseases, cocoa doesn’t like any of those,” she said.

“If something like that happens to a cocoa farmer who only grows cocoa, they lose one hundred per cent of their yield and they’re stuck without income for the year.”

Worldwide, about 95 per cent of cocoa is supplied by small hold farmers, many living below the poverty line.

Cocoa is a major export for many countries in the region including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

A syntropic ecosystem of plants would allow farmers to sell or eat food grown in the years before the cocoa matured, or harvest crops fruiting on alternative cycles to the cocoa bean.

Senior Research Fellow Dr Alex Cheesman said the project could help improve mainstream agriculture in the future. Photo: Fia Walsh.

Dr Alex Cheesman, a senior scientist working on the project at James Cook University, said the research could also improve soil quality and resilience to extreme weather.

“In traditional monoculture cocoa crops are grown without shade trees, they are out in the punishing sun,” Dr Cheesman said.

“In this more layered system there’s some shelter and a microclimate exists … the plants aren’t exposed to quite as extreme temperatures.”

As droughts and heatwaves become more common, Dr Cheesman said the findings “could be developed for more mainstream agriculture as well”.

The crops, planted in September 2021 at James Cook University, include eucalyptus, mahogany, avocado, mango, jackfruit, native legumes, banana, cassava, grasses, ground covers, and of course, cocoa. Photo: Fia Walsh

The project is the first of its kind for Mars, who have not been immune from the environmental and humanitarian concerns often plaguing the cocoa sector.

The company’s Cocoa for Generations mission is to ensure 100 per cent of Mars’ cocoa is responsibly sourced globally and is completely traceable by 2025.

Originally published as A world-first project for Mars Wrigley chocolate has planted its roots in Cairns