Kuapa Kokoo (Ghana)
In order to combat the threat of the farmers losing out during the liberalization of the cocoa market in 1993, a group of cocoa farmers came together to form a co-operative that would collect and sell its cocoa for the member farmers’ own benefit. With business assistance, they set up their own company to buy cocoa and sell it to the Government Cocoa Buying Board. The cocoa farmers’ organization was founded and named “Kuapa Kokoo” meaning “Good Cocoa Farmers Company” in their local language. Their motto is “Pa Pa Paa” which means “the best of the best of the best”.
- Benefits of belonging to Kuapa Kokoo include:
- Farmers are no longer cheated and are paid for the amount of cocoa they produce
- Children attend school rather than work in the field
- Farmers are paid an assured price, regardless of world market prices
- Farmers are paid an additional fair trade premium
- They have set up a credit union to provide credit and banking services
A Farmers Trust has been established for distributing money for community projects, generated from the fair trade premium between the farmers.
- All decisions are made democratically
- Income generating activities have been developed to supplement the women’s income and make them less dependent on the men; e.g. making soap from the potash produced from burnt cocoa husks
