Chocolate Under the Microscope: The Role of Nuclear Technologies in Ghana’s Cocoa Industry

Cocoa plays a central role in Ghana’s economy, forming the foundation of the country’s export capacity and providing livelihoods for millions of people.

However, the long-term resilience of this strategically important sector is increasingly affected by climate change, plant diseases, and pest infestations, all of which impact yield levels and product quality. In response, modern scientific approaches — including the use of nuclear technologies — are opening new pathways for sustaining and enhancing cocoa production.

These advanced methods, already successfully applied in other countries, have the potential to significantly strengthen Ghana’s ability to address key agricultural challenges.

Ghana is the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, following Côte d’Ivoire. In 2021, the country accounted for 16.1% of global cocoa exports. Between 2019 and 2023, Ghana’s annual cocoa exports generated an average of USD 2 billion. According to the Ghana Statistical Services, in 2024 cocoa beans and cocoa paste made up 46.7% of the country’s total food-related exports, with cocoa beans alone representing 32.4%. These figures highlight the sector’s strategic role in the national economy and its importance in sustaining employment, especially in rural communities.

Despite its economic value, the cocoa industry faces growing challenges. In 2024, cocoa production fell to 55% of the average seasonal volume, delaying the shipment of approximately 370,000 tones in the 2023/24 season. A major cause was the spread of the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD), which, according to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), destroyed around 500,000 hectares of cocoa plantations in 2023. Additionally, cocoa trees are under pressure from insect pests such as capsids, which feed on plant sap and facilitate the transmission of disease. Together, these difficulties pose a serious challenge to both the quantity and quality of cocoa produced.

Efforts are underway in Ghana to counter these challenges. One approach involves removing infected trees and replanting with disease-resistant hybrid varieties.

The Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) is also studying cross-protection strategies, whereby trees are “vaccinated” using mild virus strains to build immunity against more severe infections.

However, both approaches present limitations. The cost of vaccines is high, and vaccinated trees tend to yield less, making these methods less accessible to smallholder farmers with limited financial resources. Nuclear science offers promising solutions for strengthening cocoa resilience. One key method is the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), which involves mass-rearing and sterilising male insect pests using gamma or X-rays. When released into the wild, these sterile males compete with wild counterparts, gradually reducing pest populations.

This technique is already being used in South Africa to control fruit flies that damage citrus crops, and it could be adapted for cocoa pests such as capsids in Ghana.

Another innovative approach is radiation-induced mutagenesis. This technique involves exposing seeds or plant material to radiation in order to accelerate natural modifications, potentially producing crop varieties with improved traits — such as disease resistance or tolerance to environmental stress. In Pakistan, for example, researchers have developed 16 drought-tolerant cotton varieties using this method, which show up to 30% higher yields than conventional types.

Similar techniques could be used to develop cocoa strains resistant to CSSVD. Nuclear technologies are also useful for soil research and fertilizer optimization. The stable isotope nitrogen-15 makes it possible to assess how effectively plants absorb nitrogen from fertilizers -how much nitrogen is actually taken up by the plant and how much remains in the soil. This, in turn, helps determine the optimal fertilizer concentration to achieve maximum yield.

Without such an assessment, there is a higher risk of applying excessive amounts of fertilizer, which can lead to
water pollution and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In 2024, scientists under the auspices of Rosatom corporation developed new equipment for producing nitrogen-15, which has already demonstrated success in agricultural applications in several countries.

Integrating nuclear technologies into Ghana’s cocoa sector offers a path to greater yield stability, reduced losses, enhanced quality, and lower production costs. These improvements can directly increase farmers’ incomes, strengthen rural livelihoods, and boost the competitiveness of Ghanaian cocoa on the global market.

International cooperation through organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations provides access to advanced expertise and technical resources. At the same time, the successful application of nuclear science requires investment in research infrastructure and the development of local capacity through training and education.

Ryan Collyer, CEO of Rosatom Central and Southern Africa, emphasised the transformative potential of these technologies: “We are not just sharing tools — we are sharing a vision.

Nuclear technologies have the power to turn vulnerability into resilience, and tradition into innovation.

For Ghana’s cocoa farmers, this means not only protecting their crops today, but building a thriving, science-driven agriculture for generations to come.” Ghana’s cocoa industry is undergoing a period of transformation. As global demand continues to grow and environmental challenges intensify, science-based strategies are becoming essential.

The integration of nuclear techniques — from pest control and plant breeding to soil analysis — can play acritical role in supporting the sector’s resilience and long-term viability. With the backing of international partners and scientific institutions, Ghana has the opportunity to safeguard its position in the global cocoa market and advance a model of agricultural development grounded in sustainability and innovation.

Source: Mr Asante Energy and Innovation Expert | Contributor