ofi and partners launch first cocoa biochar project in Ghana
GHANA – Global ingredients solutions business, Olam Food Ingredients (ofi), in collaboration with LOTTE, Fuji Oil, and MC Agri Alliance, has launched its first cocoa biochar pilot in Dankwa County in the Central Province of Ghana.
The circular biomass initiative will turn discarded cocoa pod husks into biochar through combustion in biochar cone machines.
Biochar is a regenerative farming practice that locks in the carbon from the cocoa crop residues, which would otherwise be released back into the atmosphere by decomposition.
The company said the initiative should also benefit the soil where the cocoa is grown. Applying biochar on cocoa farms can help improve soil fertility and structure, helping to stop erosion and the loss of soil nutrients into ground and surface waters.
Keiji Miyano, Executive Officer (Corporate Strategy / Sustainability) at LOTTE CO., said: “Sustainable procuring of cocoa is one of our material business strategies. Recent crop failures in West Africa have underscored its importance.”
“We are convinced this initiative can create a significant environmental impact through collaboration by cocoa-related companies in non-competitive areas. We aim to continue leading the chocolate industry in Japan and Asia with our sustainability efforts.”
The partnership aims to start implementing the biochar project during the 2024/25 crop season and will monitor its impact on soil health and carbon reduction.
Andrew Brooks, Global Head of Cocoa Sustainability at ofi, noted that this circular biomass initiative is one way of supporting customers to take climate action as well as restoring natural capital, which is aligned with ofi’s own Cocoa Compass ambition and 2050 Net Zero target.
“Cocoa Compass, ofi’s dedicated cocoa ambition, helps to address specific challenges in the cocoa supply chain and feeds into its company-wide sustainability strategy – Choices for Change. It builds on its years of expertise and experience in farming communities to collaborate with its customers and stakeholders to partner for positive change,” he added.
This project complements ofi’s global cocoa biomass projects, consisting of a network of six circular biomass boilers in its cocoa factories in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, Indonesia, The Netherlands, and Singapore.
The biomass boilers use cocoa shells, a by-product of the production process, as fuel to generate steam to power the crafting of its cocoa ingredients.
Still in Ghana, Asaase Pa Food Systems Limited is a rural service center established with support from Solidaridad in 2020 to provide essential farm management services to cocoa farmers. In partnership with Tachibana International Ghana Company, a cocoa and ingredients trading company, and the organization Planboo, Asaase Pa is converting waste from the processing of cocoa pods into biochar.
According to the partners, the biochar is helping to balance soil pH, increase porosity leading to better aeration and water retention, increase nutrient retention, contribute to carbon sequestration, and improve crop yields.
Looking ahead, Asaase Pa plans to scale up its biochar production. It envisions establishing 25 biochar centers across cocoa landscapes in Ghana over the next five years while continuing to offer sustainable solutions to farmers.
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