Wassa East Cocoa Cooperative—located in Daboase, the capital of Wassa East district in the Western region of Ghana—was initiated in 2009 by member societies who wanted to improve their productivity and household incomes, leveraging the advantages of cooperative societies, and become certified producers.
We have a higher youth composition than other cooperatives (70% of our farmers are between 18-40 years old). This contributes to empowering youth farmers as well as ensures the union .
A large number of our farmers own the land they produce on (46% landowners), meaning they are more independent and committed to ensuring good agricultural practices, while reducing the need for caretakers (who make up only 2% of our farmers).
We make use of traditional agriculture practices, which result in higher quality cocoa beans. This is because traditional agriculture practices use less chemicals, thereby increasing the lifespan of cocoa trees. Because of this, cocoa production is also more sustainable.
We have strong ties with our local, regional and international partners, including with COCOBOD, Mondelez International, Enable/TDC and Agriterra.