Tag: Cocoa

Ghana COCOBOD collaborates with Ghanaian scientist to foster cocoa-based human health research

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GHANA – Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is seeking to expand the use of cocoa beyond the confectionery and cosmetic industries, into the health sector. The government-controlled institution is collaborating with some fellows of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) to conduct research into components of cocoa that can aid in the management of some life-threatening infections and metabolic diseases globally. According to healthline, cocoa is rich in polyphenols, naturally occurring antioxidants that aid in reduction of high-blood pressure, lower risk of heart attack and stroke, improve blood flow…

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Nigerian cocoa-exporting company ADT Russet gets US$2.8m financing to drive market access

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NIGERIA – The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), has provided ADT Russet Limited, a cocoa bean sourcing and exporting company, with 50% credit risk guarantee on a working capital facility worth N1.15bn (US$2.8m). Apart from the absorption of a substantial part of its risk exposure in the event of loan delinquency, NIRSAL is also providing efficient monitoring of the project aimed at boosting ADT Russet’s export volume to 4,000 metric tonnes per annum. The move is aimed to create a stronger market for cocoa export stakeholders…

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Ghana COCOBOD adopts sustainable cocoa seedlings raising techniques, protects environment

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GHANA – Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has adopted the use of cocopeat and receptacles as new technologies for raising cocoa seedlings at nursery sites. Cocopeat is 100% soilless organic medium produced from coconut husks with some trace elements which make it a good substitute for topsoil, whereas the receptacles are plastic containers adopted to replace polybags often used in raising cocoa seedlings. The initiative is part of the Board’s moves to streamline its core activities to align with best practices that protect and conserve the environment. Every year, the Seed…

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Bühler supports Ghana in building capacity of cocoa industry, Ivory Coast-Ghana Cocoa Initiative names Chairperson

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GHANA – Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has signed an agreement with Bühler, one of the world’s leading plant equipment manufacturer, to build Ghana’s local cocoa processing and value addition capacity through training, product development and technology guidance. This is in line with the government’s plan to significantly increase the portion of Ghana’s cocoa which is processed locally to meet both the sub-regional and international consumption demands. Speaking at the signing ceremony, at Bühler’s Cocoa Competence Centre in Abidjan, Hon Joseph Boahen Aidoo, the Chief Executive of COCOBOD, said the agreement…

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Ghana to establish chocolate production plant in Rwanda as Rwanda eyes pyrethrum processing unit in Ghana

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GHANA/RWANDA – Ghana and Rwanda have entered into an agreement to enhance value-addition of agro-allied products in the countries, boosting trade and investments between the two nations. As part of the pact, the world’s second largest producer and exporter of cocoa, Ghana, is set to establish a chocolate production plant in Rwanda, supplying the unit at the East African region with processed organic cocoa in a form of coca nibs or cocoa Liquor, as shall be determined. Meanwhile, Rwanda, the second largest producer of pyrethrum globally, accounting for approximately 15…

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Ivory Coast to add value to cocoa waste, invests US$244m in cocoa-powered bio-diesel plant

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IVORY COAST – Ivorian specialist in the biomass sector, Société des Energies Nouvelles (SODEN), has partnered with US Trade and Development Agency to establish a cocoa-powered renewable energy plant. The project, which will innovatively put to use the cocoa-waste is expected to cost about 131 billion West African CFA francs (US$244m). Ivory Coast is the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans contributing over 40% of the global supply. The cocoa beans which are exported to power the US$130billion per annum cocoa and chocolate industry, make up a small portion of…

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Barry Callebaut distributes non-cocoa seedlings to farmers to enhance biodiversity in cocoa-growing regions

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SWITZERLAND – Barry Callebaut, a major cocoa processor and chocolate manufacturer, is scaling up its efforts to foster sustainable cocoa production by providdng millions of non-cocoa seedlings to farmers in the cocoa growing regions of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Brazil, Ecuador and Indonesia. In Côte d’Ivoire, for instance, the chocolate supplier is on track to distribute close to one million seedlings in 2021, with species including cocoa, teak, mahogany, sugar palm, coconut and mandarin. To ensure sustainability of its program, Barry Callebaut has stocked its nurseries with both cocoa and…

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Lindt & Sprüngli achieves target of tracing 100% of its cocoa beans

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SWITZERLAND – Lindt & Sprüngli, a Swiss chocolatier and confectionery company known for its chocolate truffles, has said that it has achieved its goal of tracing 100% of its to cocoa beans back to the farmers. Sustainably sourced and high-quality cocoa beans are crucial to Lindt & Sprüngli chocolates and traceability plays a major role in providing confidence in the ability of the supply chain to only deliver sustainably sourced coffees. Lindt & Sprüngli developed its sustainability program for cocoa beans in 2008, the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program. The…

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Dubai eyes share of lucrative cacao trade, seeks to make emirate an international trade hub for the commodity

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DUBAI –  Dubai, a rapidly growing commodities market in the world, is seeking to have its foot in the lucrative cacao trade and has announced plans towards becoming an international trade hub. According to a statement from the  Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), a state-of-the-art Cacao Centre in Dubai will launch in the Arab Emirate before the end of the year. DMCC says it will initially incubate a select range of cacao services within its DMCC Coffee Centre in Jebel Ali starting from mid-2021. According to the authority, the plan…

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Ivory Coast, Ghana strengthens cocoa alliance to safeguard sector priorities

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WEST AFRICA – Ivory Coast and Ghana, the two West African nations who together produce more than 60% of the world’s cocoa, have pledged to further strengthen and expand the existing economic relations on cocoa and other related matters between their respective countries. In August 2020, the two countries formed the Ivory Coast-Ghana Cocoa Initiative (ICCIG) aimed to promote their cocoa industries internationally and defend their collective position in the global market. To that end, the two countries are expected to expedite action on the setting up of a permanent…

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