Koa, Ghanaian-Swiss start-up has taken steps to scale its impact in the cocoa sector by inaugurating its second cocoa fruit factory in Akim Achiase, in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
It was done together with 600 guests, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Embassy of Switzerland.
The new facility will allow Koa to scale its production capabilities tenfold and allow the company to cooperate with an additional 10,000 cocoa smallholders in Ghana.
A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday said Koa is disrupting the cocoa industry through its innovative upcycling of the cocoa fruit.
It said the independent Ghanaian-Swiss company was the first company in West Africa to have unlocked a new value chain around the so far discarded cocoa pulp.
“Working closely with cocoa smallholders, Koa reduces on-farm food waste around the cocoa fruit and increases cocoa farmers’ income while at the same time bringing unique new ingredients to the gastronomy and food and beverage industry for applications ranging from chocolate, confectionery, ice cream to drinks in Ghana and abroad.
“Since its foundation in 2017, Koa has upcycled 800 tons of cocoa fruit that was, until that day, overlooked in the cocoa industry. 2,200 cocoa farmers benefitted within the first five years, earning a total of GH¢2.3 million ($300,000)”.
It said the inauguration of the cocoa fruit factory in Akim Achiase on Friday, 25 August 2023, marked the beginning of a new era for Koa, as it expands its reach and impact.
“It highlights the contribution of the company towards sustainable growth in rural Ghana and making a positive impact on the cocoa industry”.
Guests in attendance included Kobina Tahir Hammond, Minister of Trade & Industry of Ghana; Daasebre Nana Gyenin Kantan IV Nifa Hene of Akyim Abuakwa, Traditional Council; and Dr. Simone Haeberli, Deputy Head of Mission & Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland in Ghana, Togo and Benin who graced the occasion in Akim Achiase in Ghana’s Eastern Region.
“Their participation signifies the importance of this milestone for Ghana and the cocoa industry.
In his welcome address, Koa’s Managing Director and Co-Founder, Anian Schreiber, highlighted how the new factory served as a milestone in the company’s ambition to positively transform the cocoa value chain.
“By supplying products for both the domestic and international market, we will add value to the farmers, the communities, and all people who work around here. This factory will connect Achiase and Ghana to the world”, Anian Schreiber said.
Daniel Otu, Production & Operations Director at Koa, explained that “the new factory will allow the company to grow in line with the demand from its customers. The factory will generate 250 new jobs in rural Ghana and allow us to extend our cocoa fruit upcycling to an additional 10,000 cocoa farmers.”
The Swiss-Ghanaian start-up Koa transforms the cocoa industry by upcycling parts of the cocoa fruit that are usually overlooked.
With a mission to empower farmers to earn additional income and make a positive impact on the planet, Koa is redefining sustainability and social responsibility in the industry.
As a certified B Corp, the company integrates its mission into all business activities, focusing on the Triple Bottom Line: ‘People, Planet, and Profit.
Source: GNA
