Science to save world's chocolate supply

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-27  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

UNITED States government scientists launched a five-year project yesterday aimed at safeguarding the world's chocolate supply by dissecting the genome of the cocoa bean.

A US Department of Agriculture team based in Miami, funded with more than US$10 million from candy company Mars Inc, will analyze the more than 400 million parts of the cocoa genome, a process that could help battle crippling crop diseases and even lead to better-tasting chocolate.

Fungal diseases are estimated to cost cocoa farmers an estimated US$700 million annually. The analysis will not only identify what traits make cacao trees susceptible, but it will allow scientists ?? and confectionery makers ?? to better understand every aspect of cocoa, from its ability to sustain drought to the way it tastes.

"Once we have the whole genome, they'll be able to go in and look at all the genes they're interested in," said Ray Schnell, a research geneticist with the USDA, referring to candy makers. "They'll all be interested in flavor genes."

The project's backers say the work stands to be a boon to farmers, largely in Africa, who produce about 70 percent of the world's cocoa. By determining which breeds of cacao trees are most appropriate for a specific locale and most able to fend off disease and drought, farmers could increase crop yields.

Ajay Royyuro, who leads the Computational Biology Center at IBM Research in New York, said the cocoa genome project capitalizes on advances from examining the far more complicated human genome. An IBM team will participate in the cocoa efforts.

"The genome revolution is underway and there is a way in which that revolution can be leveraged to have an economic impact," Royyuro said.