Brazil, formerly one of the world's major cocoa exporters, became an importer of cocoa to meet its own growing domestic consumption needs.
This loss in production was due to the lack of disease resistant plants and the absence of methods and knowledge to stop the spread of the disease.
At roughly the same time, Malaysia, another major cocoa producer, suffered similar losses in its cocoa sector due to an insect pest, the cocoa pod borer, plaguing the crop.
Cocoa stakeholders increasingly recognized that a sustainable agricultural system could meet current and future economic, social and environmental needs. They also began to recognize that a truly sustainable cocoa supply would require coordinated efforts of all interested parties.