As they say in Ghana: ‘When it Comes to Cocoa, It’s All About Teamwork.’ To achieve good results, farmers work together to grow and harvest the cocoa beans. They also work closely with partners who provide a good price, sufficient sales, and continuity.
Caring for your cocoa trees (also known as cacao trees), as well as harvesting, drying, and checking the quality of the beans all on your own is much easier said than done. For Ghanaian cocoa farmers, it is common knowledge: you can obtain better yields by working together with the other women and men in your community.
Honesty
In light of this, honesty and loyalty are extremely important, both within local communities and beyond. A good example of this can be found in the sale of cocoa beans. Maintaining a good relationship with buyers willing to pay the right price for the right weight leads to higher yields.
Transparency
Even if the cocoa beans do find their way towards chocolate producers, trust and transparency remain the most importance factors for success. Conducting business fairly within long-term partnerships makes for healthier business practices at every step in the chain: from cocoa bean to chocolate bar.
As a partner, Cocoa from Ghana support cocoa farmers by providing:
- agricultural education that explains how to improve the harvest;
- training that enables men and women to collaborate more effectively;
- partnerships between farmers’ cooperatives, associations, merchants, governments, and other parties;
- strategic alliances with chocolate producers and brands;
Becoming stronger together, achieving and sharing success – that’s the teamwork that Ghana embodies!