[LONDON, SciDev.Net] Growing so-called “shade trees” on cocoa farms could play an important role in reducing the industry’s environmental impact. Due to the widespread deforestation that has made way for these farms, cocoa is one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases in agriculture. They found that only about five per cent of cocoa is grown on farms where there is at least 30 per cent shade cover from large trees. Growing cocoa under shade trees has a number of benefits for cocoa crops. She says her previous research indicates that 30 to 40 per cent shade tree cover is optimal.