News and Events

Scientists have found that increasing global warming could mean that certain crops native to the tropics could soon cease to exist if nothing is done today. Threatened crops include bananas, cocoa, peanuts and soybeans.

SALEM-Togo has been producing cocoa under extreme conditions for years. Last year, young cocoa plants were produced under the scorching sun (see picture above). In March 2024, we recorded temperatures of up to 41°C. However, these plants apparently did not suffer from this rise in temperature, although they are still grown in pots and without special care. Soon, these seedlings will be placed in individual pots and transplanted to the demonstration field in mid-July 2024. Gliricidia, Leucaena and Moringa leaves are fertilized.

The cocoa plants serve there as underplanting for wild fig trees. This has a number of advantages:

• Wild fig trees have more roots than branches. The many roots form an underground water reservoir, from which the cocoa plants also benefit.
• Wild fig trees always bear countless fruits (see picture). Since trees have the special feature of supporting each other, cocoa trees can "learn" to bear many more cocoa pods. This was found out in experiments three years ago.
• Wild fig trees remain green even in the dry season, which is an added benefit for cacao trees.

With a donation to SALEM-Togo, you can help defy climate change and help Gbati find new ways of growing crops in tropical regions in the future. 

 Thank you very much!