Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre met Ginette Kouamé, director of the Ecakoog agricultural cooperative, at the Chocoa trade fair. She shared her vision and the challenges faced by an organisation that, in less than 15 years, has become a major player in the cocoa industry in Côte d’Ivoire. From direct export to fine flavour cocoa, Ecakoog relies on centralised management and pillars of sustainability to guarantee quality and social impact.
Founded on the 14th of July 2012, the Ecakoog cooperative (Entreprise Coopérative Agricole Koognanan[1] de Grogouya[2]) was born out of an initiative to raise awareness, structure and develop the Lakota region and its surroundings, which are rich in potential and have a young population. Starting with 521 members, the organisation has grown spectacularly and now has 10,533 members spread across eight operational areas, including its headquarters in Lakota, as well as Gagnoa, Tiassalé, Toulepleu, Biankouma, Zouan-Hounien, San Pedro and Duékoué.
A structured organisation serving a large scale
Given the scale of the operation, Ecakoog has set up a decentralised but controlled structure. The core team – comprising management and key departments (sustainability, accounting, logistics and exports) – is based at the head office in Lakota. In the eight areas, a representative, a storekeeper, a sustainability officer and field agents are responsible for monitoring. The field team has a total of 60 agents whose tasks include mapping plots, collecting data, raising awareness and training producers.
The leap into direct export
A major turning point was reached in 2020 with the switch to direct export. Although this decision did not immediately lead to contracts in the first year, it brought greater visibility and enabled direct negotiation and marketing with partners. After internal volumes in subsequent years, Ecakoog has grown from 500 tonnes with Africao to 6,000 tonnes in exports today, with partners such as Comod Trading, Cocoa Source, and Facta International. This development is essential to sell the estimated production of more than 16,000 tonnes for its 10,533 members.
The essence of quality: fine flavour cocoa
The development of fine flavour cocoa, launched in 2019, is part of Ecakoog’s internal sustainability programme, which is based on five pillars: agroforestry, gender promotion and the fight against child labour, banking and health insurance, and the production of organic inputs.
To guarantee quality, Ecakoog has opted for centralised fermentation in crates at the cooperative, under the responsibility of a dedicated and supervised team. This centralisation is considered essential to ensure rigorous monitoring of protocols, particularly temperature measurements.
The cooperative has been supported from the outset by Zoi Papalexandratou from Zoto. Sensory analyses have identified three distinct regions: Klaman[3], Yèlè[4] and Dia[5]. Although the fine flavour did not find its initial niche market due to the complexity of small volumes, it is now used to produce roasted beans and chocolate bars presented at trade shows.
Gender promotion and challenges
Gender equality is actively promoted, with women involved in sorting and shelling cocoa pods. Income-generating activities and Associations Villageoises d’Épargne et de Crédit (AVEC) have a tangible and positive impact, enabling women to improve their living conditions (building or purchasing land, educating their children, setting up businesses).
However, challenges remain. Although obtained in 2021, the cooperative did not renew its organic certification after three years, as regulatory changes and a lack of market opportunities made the constraints too burdensome, despite the producers’ commitment to fine flavour.
The main management challenge at present is mapping the plots. Although 98% of the work has been completed, sending data to partners is often hampered by problems of duplication and overlap. Ecakoog hopes to receive support to resolve this recurring problem once and for all. Coaching is also desired to fully master the FarmForce traceability software. These will be the objectives of the two-year support programme provided by Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre.
Future objectives and regulations
Finally, Ginette Kouamé emphasises the need for the Ivorian authorities to introduce regulations that would facilitate the marketing of small quantities of fine flavour cocoa. For direct exporters such as Ecakoog, the issue of ‘counterparties’ remains a strict requirement of the Conseil du Café-Cacao (CCC), which requires proof of the international buyer’s reliability before any export authorisation is granted.
Furthermore, Ecakoog, which is involved in a counterpart initiative with other cooperatives under the name METANYI Trading BV, would like to benefit from the CCC’s support through sponsorship. This support would facilitate its registration with the FCC and its recognition as a Counterpart at CCC level.
