Akim Achiase, Eastern Region, Ghana//-Swiss-Ghanaian start-up Koa has commissioned Africa’s largest cocoa fruit factory at Akim Achiase, in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
The newly commissioned Koa cocoa pulp processing factory enables Ghana to convert the otherwise wasted cocoa pulp into products of higher quality and value such as fruit juices – a process globally known as upcycling.
The company secured $10 million growth capital to accelerate its disruptive upcycling business around the cocoa fruit, leading to the setting up of the multi-million-dollar factory.
Scale up production
In his welcome address at the commissioning ceremony, Managing Director & Co-Founder of Koa, Anian Schreiber was confident that the investments would allow Koa to scale its production capabilities tenfold and thereby allow the company to cooperate with an additional 10,000 cocoa smallholders in Ghana.
“With a unity of purpose which Koa stands for and which is manifested in this factory we inaugurate today.
It was a big ambition, and it laid the foundation to positively transform the cocoa value chain by creating additional value for one of Ghana’s most phenomenal products”.
As a business that thrives to balance impact for people, planet, and profit, this project is the result of a courageous international team that is located thousands and thousands of miles apart and still come to Ghana to deliver this project, Mr Schreiber said.
“In countless hours, our team in Ghana and Switzerland tried to blend and work hand in hand to bring this project on the line. The machines installers, the support that came here from all over the world are awesome to make this project happen.
By supplying products for the domestic and international markets will be bringing value to the farmers, the communities and all people who work around here. This factory will connect Achiase and Ghana to the world”.
The Co-Founder and Group Finance Director of Koa, Benjamin Kuschnik was excited that they won strong and reputable partners for the further growth of our business.
“It shows that our way of responsibly doing business and our value proposition is meeting the pulse of the time”.
With these investments, they set up Africa’s largest cocoa pulp processing plant in West Africa, which is the world’s largest cocoa growing region, Mr Kuschnik said.
The Production & Operations Director at Koa, Daniel Otu explained: “As the food industry is discovering the cocoa fruit, we need to grow in line with the demand from our customers.
Once fully operational, the new factory will increase our production capacity by tenfold, while generating 250 new jobs in rural Ghana and allowing us to extend our cocoa fruit upcycling to an additional 10,000 cocoa farmers”.
With this project, Koa became the first food factory to operate as a Free Zone company in Ghana in two different regions-Western and Eastern.
As Koa operates in the country’s Free Zone, it means that more than 60% of its products are being exported to the international market, while the remaining are for the domestic market.
Yet to fully capture the full value added of cocoa
Commissioning the factory on behalf of Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by Minister of Trade, and Industry, Kobina T. Hammond noted: “This again proves, without a doubt that as Ghanaians, we are yet to fully capture the full value added of cocoa – its bean, pulp and pod”.
He therefore congratulated the founders, investment partners and business promoters as well as the board, management, and staff of Koa Ghana for their success in planting this innovative high-impact business module in the forest of Akim Achiase.
The theme for the ceremony, “10X Impact”, in his estimation, goes to demonstrate the power that the company has to positively transform the cocoa industry and generate impact on the tens of thousands of livelihoods that depend on cocoa in rural communities across the country.
Commendable integration
Mr Akufo-Addo observed that “technology is fully integrated into the operations of the company and its business engagements. The experts from Swiss and Ghanaian Universities working together have ensured this commendable integration of modern technology into an otherwise conservative traditional environment”.
He hoped that Ghana would learn important lessons from the social and environmental sustainability processes and footprints that would be applicable to other value chains in the rural economy across Ghana.
“As a government, we believe that prosperity for all is achievable through industrial transformation that is inclusive and sustainable that also ensures the highest standards of food safety to guarantee significant market access for brands wholly or substantially produced in Ghana.
We also recognize that increasingly, consumers demand higher levels of social and environmental compliance to assure that consumer choices do not have hidden costs in respect of negative effects on the environment and on vulnerable groups such as children and women”.
Switzerland-Ghana bilateral relations
In a speech, Deputy Head of Mission & Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland in Ghana, Dr Simone Haeberli traced the warm trade and bilateral relations between Ghana and Switzerland.
“The ties between Ghana and Switzerland are very strong. Our bilateral economic relations in trade, investments, and economic development co-operation are also strong”.
According to her, Ghana is Switzerland’s second largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa. The volume between Switzerland and Ghana last year was 3.25 billion Swiss Franc but it is close to $3.5 billion.
However, Dr Haeberli who is also the Acting Ambassador to Ghana added that it is also true that these impressive figures come from only two commodities-gold and cocoa beans.
“So, the potential for a more diversified trade between the two countries is huge. But also dependent on reforms to modernize Ghana’s economy to facilitate trade, increase productivity, add value, and provide skilled people to the market. This is precisely what the Switzerland Economic Development Co-operation wants to achieve”, she said.
“Better framework conditions for Ghana to become more self-reliant and create more value in the country”.
Chief grateful
The Nifa Hene of Akyim Abuakwa, Traditional Council, Daasebre Nana Gyenin Kantan IV who chaired the function also played a key role in the setting of the factory in the area said he would sleep of his best sleeps today, because “we have brought something to our people”.
“Initially, the company employed some artisans, masons, carpenters, among others to work during the construction of the factory”. He assured the board of directors, management, and staff of Koa that they are in good hands, saying that “Koa has come to stay”.
Daasebre Nana Gyenin Kantan IV continued: “With Koa, you are very dear to our hearts. So, we shall do all that we can to make sure that the company grows beyond bounds. To the directors, and management of Koa, be rest assured that anytime that you need our assistance, call on us and we shall come to help you”.
On behalf of the cocoa farmers who supply cocoa products to the Koa factory, the Lead Farmer from Assin Kwafo, Peter Mireku assured the company that they would their best to support the growth of the company,
Instructively, founded in 2017, Koa is disrupting the cocoa industry through its innovative upcycling of the cocoa fruit. Koa is 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, generates additional farmer income while at the same time bringing unique new ingredients to the food and beverage industry for applications ranging from chocolate, confectionery, ice cream to drinks.
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