Koawach launches world’s first energy drink made with cocoa juice

GHANA – Organic cocoa and guarana specialist Koawach has teamed up with Koa, a Swiss-Ghanaian startup that upcycles cocoa fruit pulp, to create the ‘world’s first’ energy drink made with cocoa juice, called Koalimo.

The beverage has been launched in Germany and is available in three flavour varieties: Sun Burst, with tangy flavours of grapefruit; Citrus Wave, a zesty lime infusion; and Tropic Ocean, with passionfruit notes.

Each flavour is lightly sweetened with cocoa fruit juice, an upcycled product made from the cocoa fruit pulp.

This helps to provide an extra income stream for small-scale farmers in Ghana and promotes upcycling as a sustainable practice for the cocoa and wider F&B industry.

Anian Schreiber, co-founder and managing director of Koa, said: “With Koalimo, Koawach has created a drink that brings together exquisite flavour, energising functionality, and a positive, sustainable impact on people and the planet.”

The world number two cocoa producer, has raised the fixed farmgate price paid to cocoa farmers for the second time this 2024/25 season to help boost farmers’ incomes.

The cocoa producer price from GH₵3,000 to GH₵3,100 per 64kg bag, representing a slight rise of 0.03% from the previous rate set in September for the 2024/2025 crop season.

The adjustment, which translates to GH₵49,600 per tonne, is intended to align cocoa prices with current market conditions and provide additional support to Ghanaian cocoa farmers.

A cocoa marketing board (Cocobod) spokesperson said the increase had been introduced with immediate effect.

Anticipations of price hikes had led to produce hoarding by farmers, forcing the cocoa price to skyrocket globally.

The authorities have been seeking to increase farmers’ incomes and deter smuggling, which led to Ghana losing more than a third of its cocoa output for 2023/24, according to Cocobod officials.

This compounded sectoral woes that brought Ghana’s production to a more than two-decade low, helping send global cocoa prices to record highs.

However, production is expected to rebound in the 2024/25 crop season, buoyed by favourable weather conditions, according to local farmers, officials from regulatory body Cocobod, and buyers.

Challenges such as illegal gold mining, smuggling, and disease continue to pose risks. In June, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer saw its output fall below 55% of its average seasonal output, marking a more than two-decade low.

Ghana now expects output to recover to 650,000 tons in the 2024/25 season, though an official of the International Cocoa Organization said they see it around 500,000 tons.

Over 20 cocoa farmers, Cocobod officials, and local buyers told Reuters that farms are showing healthier pods than the previous season due to improved rainfall and sunshine, as well as the timely use of fertilizers and pesticides.

Despite this positive outlook, farmers expressed concern about the potential outbreak of black pod disease and continuing bean smuggling.  

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