ABOCFA, Ghana

Ghana

ABOCFA

The pioneers of Ghana's organic movement and the first Fair Trade Organic cooperative in Ghana

Based in the eastern region of Ghana, ABOCFA is the first organic and Fairtrade certified cocoa cooperative in the country.

Manager Stephen Ashia oversees the operations of the organization, including managing the certification processes, traceability, producer relationships, and governance. ABOCFA has invested deeply in the producing communities through trainings on topics including farm productivity, ecological practices, harvest and post-harvest quality, business and finance, and labor rights. ABOCFA recently constructed a new training facility and a nursery for cocoa and other tree crops to improve biodiversity on farms. All producer members of ABOCFA have also agreed to avoid deforestation or expansion into forested areas for cacao production. ABOCFA’s network contains 13 communities of producers, or hamlets. Each hamlet has three representatives that work directly with the ABOCFA cooperative leadership, including organizing and conducting annual general meetings. The cooperative democratically decides where any quality and Fair Trade premiums go every year. In 2022, producers opted to support local schools, water access programs, health services, and financial services.

Yakubu Minezemah, farmer at ABOCFA in Ghana, smells drying cacao

Pictured is Yakubu Minezemah, a farmer at ABOCFA in Ghana, smelling drying cacao.

TERROIR

ABOCFA's producer community is renowned globally for their high quality traceable cocoa exhibiting a classic rich and fudgy flavor. Their central office in the Aponoapono, close to Suhum, in the Eastern region of Ghana. This region is known for heavy rainfall and many consider it the birthplace of cacao production in the country.

Within the ABOCFA network, producers ferment their cocoa in heaps on the farm and dry it on raised beds close to their homes, as the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), a government agency which runs the sector nationally, does not permit the sale or purchase of wet cocoa.

Based in the eastern region of Ghana, ABOCFA is the first organic and Fairtrade certified cocoa cooperative in the country.

Manager Stephen Ashia oversees the operations of the organization, including managing the certification processes, traceability, producer relationships, and governance. ABOCFA has invested deeply in the producing communities through trainings on topics including farm productivity, ecological practices, harvest and post-harvest quality, business and finance, and labor rights. ABOCFA recently constructed a new training facility and a nursery for cocoa and other tree crops to improve biodiversity on farms. All producer members of ABOCFA have also agreed to avoid deforestation or expansion into forested areas for cacao production. ABOCFA’s network contains 13 communities of producers, or hamlets. Each hamlet has three representatives that work directly with the ABOCFA cooperative leadership, including organizing and conducting annual general meetings. The cooperative democratically decides where any quality and Fair Trade premiums go every year. In 2022, producers opted to support local schools, water access programs, health services, and financial services.

Pictured is Yakubu Minezemah, a farmer at ABOCFA in Ghana, smelling drying cacao.

TERROIR

ABOCFA's producer community is renowned globally for their high quality traceable cocoa exhibiting a classic rich and fudgy flavor. Their central office in the Aponoapono, close to Suhum, in the Eastern region of Ghana. This region is known for heavy rainfall and many consider it the birthplace of cacao production in the country.

Within the ABOCFA network, producers ferment their cocoa in heaps on the farm and dry it on raised beds close to their homes, as the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), a government agency which runs the sector nationally, does not permit the sale or purchase of wet cocoa.

Samples are only available from the USA

Wholesale Orders

Samples are only available from the USA

Wholesale Orders

Stephen Ashia in front of sacks of dried cocoa at the LBC warehouse in Suhum

2022 ABOCFA Farmgate Price

$1.74 USD

This is the actual price paid to the cacao producer for their product (typically on a per kg or per lb basis) when they sell it to the first buyer. Farmgate price is often paid for "wet" or fresh cacao, recently harvested and scooped out of cracked pods for sale. Wet cacao loses 60-70% of its weight during fermentation and drying, typically reaching 7-8% humidity before it is sold.

Uncommon calculates farmgate price for each cacao supplier based on the specific weight loss conversion percentage provided to us by the supplier, and we report farmgate price on a per kg dried equivalent basis for all cacao beans we source.

Pictured is Stephen Ashia in front of sacks of dried cocoa at the LBC warehouse in Suhum.

ABOCFA farmer spreads fresh cacao for heap fermentation

2022 ABOCFA CIF price

$3.51 USD

Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) is an international shipping term meaning the supplier covers the cost of shipping to port of import, freight charges, and insurance.

Uncommon pays the costs of customs, import fees, domestic logistics and warehouse ingestion after the CIF price.

Pictured is an ABOCFA farmer spreading fresh cacao for heap fermentation.

2022 ABOCFA Average Sales Price

$5.64 USD

This is the weighted average price per kg for cacao sold to the premium & ultra premium chocolate makers who purchased it during this year from Uncommon Cacao.