The program is constructed around public-private partnerships between the cocoa industry and the (inter)national R&D community to address major gaps in the knowledge base required to close cocoa yield gaps and deliver this knowledge to cocoa farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. A total amount of about 11.5 million USD is requested to the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) for a 5-year period to deliver on a R4D (Research for Development) program focusing on cocoa agronomy and nutrient management and a P4D (Partnerships for Delivery) program to reach at least 90,000 cocoa farmers through existing dissemination networks based on the R4D component. The programs will be implemented through a consortium led by IITA and WUR with direct engagement of National Research Systems (NARS) in the target countries, international research centres (CIAT, ICRAF, UNEP-WCMC ); and the cocoa and fertilizer industries, convened through the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH).
