Kuapa Kokoo

Ghanaian Cocoa

The history of cocoa production in Ghana dates back to 1868. Until 1991, the production and marketing of cocoa was a matter of the state. For nearly 130 years, the Ghanaian government controlled this economic activity, supporting farmers by providing them with working tools, seeds, seedlings and fertilizer.

The state involvement in the cultivation of cocoa guaranteed purchasing as well as a minimum price. However, prices were often low and producers frequently lost control over production. Beginning in the early 1990s, the Ghanaian economy was liberalized gradually. This posed many new challenges for Ghana’s cocoa farmers.

Some producers chose to take a new approach, and Kuapa Kokoo was formed in 1993.  The goal: to create an organization run by and for producers.

Photo: Claire Allen

Kuapa Kokoo now works with more than 300 village societies with a total of over 45,000 farmers in Ghana. It is an organization comprised of four distinct entities:

1. Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union (Station KKU): Democratic representation of peasants 
2. Kuapa Kokoo Limited (KKL): Engaged in production and marketing, it is the commercial and trading wing of the union.
3. Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Trust (KKFT): Distribution of the Fair Trade premium and management of community projects
4. Kuapa Kokoo Credit Union (KKCU): Cooperative Bankingin support of savings, loans, and freedom from money lenders.

There are elections to identify representatives for each "village society." Generally, two people are responsible for monitoring the quality of cocoa, and a member is responsible for the collection of beans. Of course, these tasks vary from one group to another as each group’s needs are different.

Kuapa Kokoo guarantees similar working conditions for all.  In 2006, the association joined the Fair Trade system. As a result, a minimum price and a premium (intended for social and economic projects) are now paid to Fair Trade farmers. And there’s more…

Fair Trade’s Impact

The additional profits from the sale of Fair Trade Certified cocoa are divided between the village societies. The Fair Trade premiums are used to fund social and economic development, including community projects, training, infrastructure projects, and the purchase of tools and trucks. In the past premiums have been used to fund mobile health clinics, pump wells, pit toilets, educational projects, and alternative business opportunities for women.

Photo by Claire Allen

Women participate actively in the commercial company, and measures are in place to ensure this. Women are now less dependent on their husbands, and the extra income helps to cover family expenses during the cocoa offseason.

Women are also engaged in additional projects. One project involves making soap from the molasses produced when cocoa husks are burned, and then selling it on the local market to earn additional income. Kuapa Kokoo has also supplied machines to groups of women in order to produce almond oil used for cooking.

With regards to environmental sustainability, Kuapa Kokoo has identified new and old production practices that can help members adapt to climatic change. For example, members have planted more shade trees on the farms in order to improve moisture conservation and increase biodiversity.

External Sources

• http://www.kuapakokoo.com/index.php
• http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/producers/cacao/kuapa_kokoo_union.aspx
• http://theco-operative.ethical.tv/node/50