Agnes Amena Yao, director of the Cann co-operative, stands in a nursery of high-yielding cocoa plantlings. Credit:Esther Han The world's appetite for chocolate is growing, with consumers gorging on a record 7.1 million tonnes last year – led by a 6 per cent jump in Asia – according to Euromonitor International. But demand is outstripping supply of the key ingredient, with only about 4 million tonnes of cocoa beans produced each year for the past half decade, International Cocoa Organisation figures show. In its battle to save the world's supply of cocoa, 10 major chocolate makers, including Nestle, Mars and Mondelez (owner of Cadbury) have committed to splashing a billion dollars on sustainability programs, which involve boosting certified farms, providing high-yielding plants and tackling child labour. "We're aiming to reach 300,000 cocoa farmers by 2020 to achieve a rejuvenated and economically viable sector in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana," says Jean-Yves Couloud from the industry-funded World Cocoa Foundation.

Paul Kouame Kouassi, from the Ivorian government's rural development agency Anader, is working to improve farming practices. Credit:Esther Han "We had to come together to save costs, work with the government and rely on each other's strengths. Nestle and Mars for the planting material, Mondelez for community development." The farmers being trained by Kouame Kouassi are from the UCDG co-operative, based in Yaokouakoukro village, north-east of the commercial city of Abidjan. They have been supplying UTZ certified, sustainable beans to Nestle through the company's Cocoa Plan. A cocoa farmer from Yaokouakoukro village inspects beans drying in the sun. Credit:Esther Han Soon, the farmers' ageing trees, which peaked at 25 years, will be cleared and replaced with industry-developed, disease-resistant plantlings capable of growing three to four times as many pods.

"They call it 'mercedes'. They're impressed by how fast it grows and how strong it is," says Nathan Bello, Nestle Cocoa Plan manager, as he cradles a plantling at a nursery. Nathan Bello is the project manager of the Nestle Cocoa Plan. Credit:Esther Han "More pods, with the right agricultural practices, mean farmers can also multiply their incomes." The industry believes helping farmers boost their productivity will lift household incomes, which in turn will improve social conditions, reducing child labour and gender inequality. The average cocoa farmer in the Ivory Coast earns just 50¢ a day, according to the 2015 Cocoa Barometer, developed by European and US NGOs. The industry also hopes that cocoa will once again become an attractive crop, especially as farmers grow old and the younger generations flock to the cities.

Since forming in 2005, the UTZ and Fair Trade certified Cann co-operative in N'Zrama has tripled in size to 893 members. While more than half of the farmers are aged over 50, there are positive signs of change. Now, not only are 6 per cent of members female, but the co-op is led by a woman. "Things are changing for women. Maybe in 2005 having women in main roles was rare, but women are increasingly being trained in farming," says Cann co-op director Agnes Amena Yao. "I'm a daughter of a cocoa producer. I'm not a stranger to cocoa." The Cann co-op sells its beans to Cargill, a major commodity trader, which claims to represent one-fifth of the total Ivorian crop. As part of the industry-wide effort, Cargill has partnered with Anader to run the "farmer field schools". In 2013-14, the Anader agents helped 60,000 farmers become certified.

"We apply for different schemes, such as UTZ, Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade, training them to be compliant. When they are certified, they have access to a premium," says Jean-Marie Dolon, responsible for Cargill's sustainability efforts. Some of the premium is paid directly to the farmers, while the rest goes to co-operatives. Certified co-operatives have been using the money to build proper headquarters and warehouses, and increasingly, reinvest back into their communities by building schools and health clinics. Professor David Guest, from Sydney University's faculty of agriculture and environment, says this year is expected to be harder for cocoa producers around the world because of the El Nino climatic change. "The only long-term solution will be higher returns for farmers that attract young people to return to, and invest in, cocoa farming. Otherwise, expect to keep paying more for your Easter eggs," he says. Jeffrey Neilson, from the university's school of geosciences agreed that supply concerns meant consumers would have to get used to forking out more for the treat.

"Some chocolate manufacturers have warned of an impending chocolate crisis as cocoa demand outstrips supply. However, history suggests that supply shortages would result in increasing prices and new entrants into cocoa farming worldwide," he says. "Since cocoa is a tree crop, this may result in a lag. Overall, while there is unlikely to be an absolute cocoa crisis, there might be a crisis of cheap cocoa." The writer travelled to Ivory Coast as a guest of Nestle.