Ethical Business: Getting it together

In 1993, Cocoa growers in Ghana pooled resources to set up Kuapa Kokoo, a farmers’ co-operative that traded its own cocoa. The success of Kuapa Kokoo secured a better price on the global market for the cocoa, improved lives and enhanced women’s economic and social status in the community

in order to combat the threat of the farmers losing out during the liberalisation of the cocoa market in 1993, a group of cocoa farmers including a visionary farmer representative on the Ghana Cocoa Board, Nana Frimpong Abrebrese came together to form a co-operative that would collect and sell its own cocoa for the member farmers’ own benefit. Supported by Twin and SNV, a Dutch NGO, they set up their own company to buy their cocoa and sell it on to the Government Cocoa Buying Board. The cocoa farmers’ organisation was founded and named “Kuapa Kokoo”, producers of Divine chocolate, which in the local language, Twi, means “Good Cocoa Farmers Company”. Their motto is “Pa Pa Paa” which means “the best of the best of the best”.

The organisation is for farmers and set up by them with the mission to effect:

increased power and representation within the market for the farmers
social, economic and political empowerment
enhanced women’s participation in all its affairs
environmentally sustainable production processes

A choc of one’s own

Thank you to all you in the UK who buy Fairtrade Divine and Dubble made from Kuapa Kokoo beans. Now I can look after my grandchildren. Please buy more and God Bless You!”

At their 1997 AGM the farmers decided to create a chocolate bar of their own, and with support from Twin Trading, Comic Relief, the Body Shop and Christian Aid, they set up The Day Chocolate Company.

Divine Chocolate will be celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight (until 11th March) this year with guests from Kuapa Kokoo, the Ghanaian cocoa farmer’s cooperative that co-owns the company. Cocoa farmer’s daughter, 22-year-old Vida Badu, will be joining Divine Chocolate for a series of events in UK and Ireland, to present her personal view of how Fairtrade is helping the lives and prospects of her farming community.
For more information see http://original.divinechocolate.com

JULIANA FREMAH

Juliana Fremah lives in Amankwatia village. She is a cocoa farmer with 12 acres of cocoa trees, and a member of the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative, which owns a third of The Day Chocolate Company in the UK. Aged 57, Juliana now has six children, and seven grandchildren. Her husband has his own 42 acre farm.

As well as tending to her farm daily - whether it be weeding, planting, or the long period of harvesting - she is also treasurer of her village society’s womens’ group, and looks after all her grandchildren, getting them dressed, fed and off to school!

She joined Kuapa Kokoo in 2000, and is very clear about what joining has meant to her. “Getting together to form a Women’s Group, which Kuapa encourages us to do, meant we could get a Kuapa Credit loan, and use the money to plant secondary crops like Okro and Cassava. Money from these crops helps in between cocoa harvests. Since joining Kuapa we have been able to build our own house.”

“If not for Kuapa, I would not have enough money to feed my family, or enough to sell all year round. Kuapa Kokoo has really helped me!”

What makes her happiest is knowing she can support her family. She also really enjoyed a special worship week she attended organised by Kuapa.
Her message to the UK “Thank you to all you in the UK who buy Fairtrade Divine and Dubble made from Kuapa Kokoo beans. Now I can look after my grandchildren. Please buy more and God Bless You!”