Kuapa Kokoo is a duly registered cocoa farmers’ co-operative organisation in Ghana. The Union has 57 registered Societies and over 1,200 Zones (communities) under these Societies.
Kuapa Kokoo was formed in 1993 after the structural adjustment programme (SAPs) of Ghana led to the partial liberalization of the internal trading of cocoa. Led by Nana Frimpong Abebrese and with support from NGOs like TWIN, SNV, Christian Aid; Kuapa Kokoo Limited was established to participate in the internal trading of cocoa.
Kuapa formed an umbrella organisation called Kuapa Kokoo Farmers’ Union (KKFU) and gained the Fairtrade Certification staus in 1995 to supply good quality and ethically produced cocoa beans to the Fairtrade market. This made Kuapa Kokoo the first Fairtrade-certified small-holder farmers’ organisation in West Africa and currently the largest Fairtrade-certified cocoa co-operative worldwide.
Co-operative Union
In 2015, members of the Union resolved to register the Union as a co-operative organisation. The Union was re-structured and recognized by the Department of Co-operatives in Ghana as a co-operative Union and called Kuapa Kokoo Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union (KKFU) Limited in the same year.
As part of Fairtrade requirement, Kuapa Kokoo has undergone restructuring exercise to ensure better services to its members. In line with the Fairtrade arrangement, the Department of Co-operatives has registered 57 primary societies together with the Union as a unified co-operative.
Kuapa Kokoo has a total number of One Hundred Thousand, Five Hundred (100,500) farmers located in One Thousand Two hundred and Forty-Six (1,246) zones within Fifty Seven (57) districts.
VISION
Our vision is to become a leading, caring, efficient and the most globally recognised cooperative in cocoa production and marketing in Ghana.
MISSION
“Kuapa Kokoo seeks to develop itself into a formidable farmer-based organisation capable of mobilising quality cocoa products, improving the livelihood of members and satisfying customers.”
CORE VALUES
– Transparency
– Democracy
– Equity
– Commitment
– Care for Community
OUR OBJECTIVES ARE:
– To provide a medium for the social, economic and political empowerment of cocoa farmers.
– Enhance the participation of women in the decision making process at all levels of operation and organisation.
– Encourage environmentally sustainable cocoa production processes.
Alliance with Millennium Promise Alliance and Focus on SDGs
Under the able leadership of our President, Madam Fatima Ali, the National Executive Committee and administration, KKFU has partnered Millennium Promise Alliance to usher in a long-term collaboration to undertake the Kuapa Kokoo Sustainable Development Programme (KKSDP). Under this programme, the two organisations will design practical models that leverage on the SDGs to improve health and promote innovative agricultural concepts to achieve food security and end poverty. One of the main interventions under the KKSDP is the introduction of the TeleAgric Consultation Project (TACP). The TACP involves the setting up of a TeleAgric Consultation Centre as an information hub where farmers can call in from their respective farm locations or communities for timely information, advice and agricultural support. The centre scheduled to be raised in 30 days is expected to be completed by the end of September.
HEALTH OF FARMERS
Telemedicine
KKFU makes use of telemedicine in her effort to bring the best of medical care to members wherever they are. This involves the use of modern information communication technology to transfer medical information between patients and health workers for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases.
Generally, telemedicine has enormous benefits which include improved access to health care by transporting healthcare services to patients in remote areas and to help improve the knowledge of health workers in such areas. Also, Telemedicine is a cost effective alternative as it helps to decrease the cost of healthcare because of relatively less costly infrastructure requirements. It increases efficiency through improved management of diseases and reduces travel times to hospital.
Kuapa kokoo mutual health insurance
The Kuapa Kokoo Mutual Health Insurance project is modeled along the community based health insurance scheme which is a not-for-profit insurance scheme aimed primarily at the informal sector and formed on the basis of a collective pooling of health risks.
Administration of funds for KKHIS is governed by individuals appointed by members of Kuapa Kokoo. Membership of the scheme is voluntary and open to all members of Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union. The project will complement and make up for the challenges within the National Health Insurance Scheme such as lack of cover for most disease conditions, Lab investigations, and drugs. Also, KKHIS will ensure that access to health services in remote communities is improved. The scheme is the first of its kind in Ghana and will cover out-patient and inpatient costs like investigations fees, medicine, dental, surgery, deliveries, maternity etc.
The scheme will operate for the benefit of members of the Union and their dependents. Beneficiaries will contribute a collectively determined amount of money every year to be illegible to benefits. The scheme will be implemented through a network of health centres in direct communication with a Tele-consultation center at the Kuapa Kokoo clinic, manned by highly trained medical personnel. KKHIS will offer a comprehensive medical care package to members, which provides healthcare cover for over 90% of in-patient and out-patient ailments.
Elimination of Child labour in Cocoa Production
The quest to support the elimination of child labour and worst forms of child labour is highly prioritised at KKFU. With a dedicated unit and qualified personnel, practical measures have been put in place to ensure that cocoa production is child labour free. There are approaches like implementing full intervention components on pilot bases, activation of remediation processes when there are referral cases from the field and partnership with like-minded organisations locally and internationally to support the course of eliminating child labour in cocoa production. Key interventions implemented are proactive in nature to ensure that children at risk of entering into child labour are prevented. In an event where children have entered into child labour, remediation measures are activated to remove them. Interventions are developed around prevention and withdrawal by removing and protecting children who have entered into child labour.
Gender Programme
Kuapa Kokoo Gender Programme was instituted in 1998 to address issues with gender inequity among members. According to a research report in 1996, women had low income because they owned small parcels of land. They invested more effort and time in the cocoa value chain but had the least benefit. Women produced better quality cocoa and 26% of members of Kuapa were women. The principal objectives of the Gender Programme was to promote social, economic and political empowerment among women; stimulate women’s economic activities, break the vicious cycle of poverty among women and vulnerable groups; and cultivate the habit of savings among women and improve women’s access to credit. The Gender programme is composed of four main projects including Sensitization and Empowerment Project, Micro-Credit Project, Group Income-generating activities and Adult Literacy Project.
Alternative livelihood project
This involves training to provide livelihood skills to women to create alternative source of income to complement income earned from cocoa. The project provides skill training in Batik-tie-and-dye, palm oil-extraction, soap-making, bread and pastries etc. The project also provides tools and equipment necessary to set the women up to begin production. So far 444 women have been trained in livelihood skills
Adult literacy project
This project is aimed at providing basic literacy and numeracy skills to enhance the capacity of women to take on roles that require such skills. Anecdotal evidence from beneficiaries points to the fact that many learners feel more confident after completing the training and are more actively involved with Kuapa’s activities. Ophelia Awusutor [insert picture here] of Aduyaakrom Zone said in an interview “My husband is a Purchasing Clerk. Attending the adult literacy has helped me to weigh and record cocoa. I can now help him purchase more cocoa for Kuapa”
Sensitization and empowerment
This project aims at providing both leadership and skill training to enhance the capacity of women to take up leadership roles and open an avenue for extra income to improve the well-being of their families.Training modules includes “good agronomic practices” (GAP) and Capacity building workshops.