New pest threatens cocoa production in northern Brazil and raises alarm as COP 30 approaches

A new disease known as moniliasis has caused great concern among cocoa producers in northern Brazil, especially in Pará, as the risk of its introduction into the region increases with the approach of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30), which will be held in Belém. The pest, which has already devastated cocoa plantations in countries such as Ecuador and Peru, could be as destructive as, if not more so than, the famous witches' broom, which devastated cocoa crops in Bahia in past decades. Producers fear that the increased flow of people to COP 30, which will include delegations from countries already affected by moniliasis, could facilitate the introduction of the disease into the state of Pará, one of Brazil's main cocoa production centers. Health authorities are already on alert and are stepping up prevention measures to prevent the highly contagious disease from reaching local plantations. Moniliasis is a pest that directly attacks the fruits of the cocoa tree, ...