The International Trade Centre is supporting small cocoa processors and chocolate brands in Ghana in reaching new markets and growing their operations. Flexy Foods is one of these small brands targeting the rising demand for niche, artisanal products made in Ghana.

Ghana produces some of the world’s best cocoa, but imports most of the chocolate it consumes. Today, the country is attempting to address this paradox by establishing processing operations in-country.

While the idea of a cocoa-growing country producing its own chocolate makes sense, in practice it’s no easy feat. Restricted access to finance, expensive imported equipment, and the ever-rising cost of raw materials are some of the biggest obstacles.

Lucy Afari is CEO of Flexy Foods, a small artisan agribusiness in Ghana with its own chocolate brand, Kamini Chocolates. ‘Ghana grows cocoa, but it’s mainly destined for export,’ says Lucy. ‘So as artisans, we struggle with high raw material costs. We have to source it from export companies with export rates and taxes.’

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Cocoabod, the Ghanaian agency  tasked with regulating Ghana’s domestic cocoa, coffee and shea nut marketing, is establishing a framework for artisans to better access to cocoa beans. This will make it cheaper for artisans like Lucy to get raw materials.

‘This shows they recognize that there is opportunity for local value addition and a Ghana-made products market. They are encouraging and driving this agenda,’ she said. The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) are supporting these policy advocacy efforts under the Netherland Trust Fund.

Flexy Foods/ Kamini Chocolates is a woman-owned artisanal chocolatier and a Netherland Trust Fund beneficiary partners in Ghana. They are part of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority  (GEPA) cohort. Lucy kicked off her brand in 2019, when she realized that chocolate makers in Ghana were sorely lacking. Since then, the chocolate brand has been growing steadily, with plans to export on the horizon.

A small brand that offers solutions and niche products

Apart from being a Ghana-made brand, Kamini Chocolates addresses local and international competition by offering small batch production, with a maximum annual volume of 1.2 tons.

‘Most large factories require that you buy large volumes from them. We make small batches, just 20 pieces for example. We also do white label production for chocolate brands in minimal quantities that they find to be a flexible option,’ says Lucy.

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Kamini Chocolate also ventured into the vegan market, following market feedback from ITC on specialty chocolate consumer preferences, which included healthy options, especially after the pandemic. It also made sense for the brand logistically as powdered milk supply was interrupted during COVID-19, making vegan alternatives a sound business move.

Lucy says they also make a point of using locally produced cashew and tiger nuts to reinforce their Made in Ghana ethos. Their tiger nut product won them the Innovative Startup Award for 2022 by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Ghana.