Cracking the cocoa code: Value Creator assignment in Ghana

Business advisors from West Africa and East Africa were trained by Agripooler Robert van de Heuvel on how to conduct a value chain analysis using the value creator tool and cases from other agricultural value chains. Conducting a value chain analysis results in the identification of the value creators.

Value creators could be in different forms. They mainly exist of services or interventions that reduce cost, increase revenue, and reduce post-harvest losses. Most importantly, adding figures (business calculations) to these interventions to enable proper prioritisation and evidence of return of investment.

The Training of Trainers was followed up with two client assignments within the cocoa value chain; KokooPa, an association involved in the production of conventional cocoa beans, and Offinso Fine Flavor, a cooperative in the production of both conventional and fine flavour cocoa beans which is a niche cocoa. These assignments involved the active participation of the cooperative/association, and stakeholders (for example Cocoa Research Institute) to identify value creators within the cocoa value chain. After several days of cracking the cocoa code, some interventions were identified as value creators within the cocoa value chain, including service centers that bundle services such as pruning, pollination, etc. They could be provided to cooperative members to ensure the production of quality, a good quantity of cocoa beans, and as a business serves as another source of income for the cooperative. Also, creating wealth from cocoa waste e.g using the husk for organic composting, a pub for cocoa juice, selling rejected cocoa beans (Abinkyi), and a nursery for both Fine Flavour and Conventional cocoa. All these were validated by the clients and very much ready to implement by starting with short-term interventions.