The more resistant cocoa plants of the future were born in the midst of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

In recent years, the world’s cocoa production has been severely affected by bad weather and various diseases, which has led to a sharp increase in the price of cocoa on the world market. Researchers at the Volcani Institute in Israel tried to find a solution to alleviate these very problems when they sent 140 cacao seedlings to a facility in southern Israel to develop more drought-tolerant varieties. However, an attack by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on October 7 paralyzed the area, leaving the facility without electricity and irrigation for months. When the researchers returned in January, only 18 plants survived on the station.

According to Ellen Graber, senior researcher at the Volcani Institute, the seedlings’ unusual resilience provides an opportunity to develop new drought-tolerant cocoa varieties that can withstand drought and cold fronts. Graber plans to clone these “superhero” plants and test their additional properties, such as resistance to pests. He also wants to identify the genes responsible for resistance.

The Volcani Institute has already successfully developed resistant plant varieties, including drought-tolerant wheat and frost-tolerant basil, which produce crops all year round. The current discovery could be another milestone for the future of cocoa production, especially in agricultural sectors threatened by climate change.