Case studies
Kuapa Kokoo - Ghana
Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana is a large cocoa co-operative linking together almost a thousand co-operative village societies, which together have 45,000 members. These members use Kuapa Kokoo both for marketing their cocoa crop and as a source of finance and credit. The only criteria for membership of the co-operative is 'to be a cocoa farmer', allowing the widest possible membership.
Members elect their own village society committee, which is responsible for making decisions on behalf of the village. Each society employs a 'recorder' who weighs and bags the cocoa from the village. This avoids problems caused by agents from other cocoa companies cheating the farmers.
Kuapa Kokoo owns a share in the UK company Day Chocolate, which produces the Fair Trade Divine chocolate bar, and has two seats on the Board of Directors. This means that the co-operative benefits from the sales of the finished chocolate bars, as well as the cocoa crop.
The co-operative also runs the Farmer's Trust which uses premiums paid by Fair Trade business to fund community development projects. So far this has enabled the construction of 174 local water wells, 4 schools and 27 corn mills.
Unfortunately the very limited market for Fair Trade cocoa at present is only able to absorb a very small part of Kuapa Kokoo's total production. The bulk of its cocoa is therefore sold internationally through more conventional channels.
Cooperativa Caf�Timor - East Timor
The Cooperativa Caf�Timor was started in 1994, with the assistance of the US National Co-operative Business Association. It rapidly became the country's largest coffee exporter. CCT is based on a network of 20,000 small-scale farming families. The focus of the co-operative is the production and processing of high value speciality coffees for the export market, including Fair Trade and organic coffees.
As well as processing and exporting coffee, CCT manages a number of demonstration plots and training facilities, designed to show farmers firsthand how appropriate pruning, natural pest control, shade management, and weeding can vastly improve productivity.
The co-operative has become East Timor's largest private sector employer and exporter. It is also an important employer of women in the capital, Dili, who work hand-sorting and grading the coffee beans.