Organic Africa

Improving postharvest handling The price of cotton depends on its quality. The cleaner and the longer the fibres are, the higher their price. Markets prefer clean, white fibres with long staple lengt

172. Improving cotton yields

Improving cotton yields Cotton yields are mainly determined, apart from the farmers’ skills, by climatic factors such as temperature, sunlight, and availability of water, the soil qualities (structur

173. Improving access to good quality seeds

Improving access to good quality seeds Characteristics of variety and seed quality have a great influence on yields, plant health, climate change adaptation, nutrient uptake efficiency and adaptabili

174. Potential of organic cotton production in Africa

Potential of organic cotton production in Africa Most organic cotton farmers in Africa are small-holder farmers and grow less than 2 hectares of cotton on farms with a total size of less than 10 hect

175. Introduction

Introduction Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is a very important fibre crop and plays a major role in the economies of several Central and West African countries. Tanzania leads organic cotton production in

176. Marketing and organic certification of organic cocoa

Marketing and organic certification of organic cocoa Sustainable production of cocoa has become an increasingly important driver for the development of the cocoa sector in Africa. Driven by consumer

177. Postharvest handling of cocoa

Postharvest handling of cocoa Substantial quality characteristics of cocoa depend on correct processing, which starts already with the harvesting process and ends with the storing of the processed pr

178. Management of pests and diseases

Management of pests and diseases Cocoa can be affected by many pests and diseases, which thrive well in the warm and humid climates where cocoa is commonly grown. However, with proper understanding a

179. Maintenance of cocoa plantations

Maintenance of cocoa plantations Proper maintenance of cocoa trees during the early stages of growth improves later yields of the plantation. For good development young cocoa plants need favourable g

180. Improving existing cocoa plantations into agroforestry systems

Improving existing cocoa plantations into agroforestry systems The lifecycle of a cocoa tree can span well over 100 years. Even already existing cocoa plantations can be converted into a dynamic agro