University wins gold at Chelsea Flower Show
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
l to r: Heather Lake, Technician at the UniversityÔÇÖs Plant Unit, Andrew Daymond, University Research Fellow and co-ordinator of the UniversityÔÇÖs International Cocoa Quarantine Centre and Trevor Pitman, School of Biological Sciences
ÔÇÿWe are thrilled to have won gold this yearÔÇÖ
Congratulations to everyone involved with this year's University of Reading exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show. We have been awarded a gold medal for our exhibition on the crucial cocoa research undertaken by the School of Biological Sciences. The stand, Your Chocolate World Secured, took top honours in the Continuous Learning Awards.
Andrew Daymond, University Research Fellow and co-ordinator of the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre (ICQC), said: "We are thrilled to have won gold this year. Our exhibit explains all about the problems and challenges cocoa growers face, the work we do at Reading to ensure that different types of cocoa are transferred between regions in a safe manner and research into how the crop responds to changing environmental conditions."
The School of Biological Sciences has a five-year project to assess the threat climate change poses to cocoa. Cocoa production faces significant problems from increasing global temperatures and more varied rainfall. Using state-of-the-art greenhouses that simulate current and predicted climate conditions in cocoa-growing regions, Reading researchers aim to identify traits that crop breeders can select for when developing new cocoa varieties better suited to likely future climates.
Cocoa is one of the most important sources of income for many countries in the humid tropics. Together, Ghana and The Ivory Coast produce nearly 70% of the world's supply. For Ghana, where cocoa is grown by smallholder farmers, cocoa accounts for over 40% of total export revenues and two million people are involved either directly or indirectly in its production.
Reading is home to the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre, which handles all international movement of cocoa breeding material and is the only facility of its kind in the world.
The ICQC is playing a pivotal role in stopping the spread of pests and disease on cocoa, whilst ensuring that research centres and cocoa plantations worldwide have access to new and interesting types of cocoa.