Ivorian Brothers Aim to Transform Cocoa Industry with Local Processing
Fousseni and Alahassane Diakite's factory in Divo processes cocoa locally, seeking to close the processing gap and create jobs.
In a factory in southern Ivory Coast, twin brothers Fousseni and Alahassane Diakite are working towards their goal of transforming the local cocoa industry.
Despite being the world's leading cocoa producer, Ivory Coast exports much of its production due to limited local processing capabilities.
The factory, which began operations in August, has an annual processing capacity of 36,000 tons with a target of reaching 80,000 tons.
This is significantly less than major players like Cargill and Barry Callebaut, who process between 100,000 and 200,000 tons annually in the country.
The brothers, whose family has been involved in cocoa production for generations, established a union of cooperatives that brings together over 4,000 producers.
They also founded companies to produce cocoa butter for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics as well as food products.
To enhance their expertise, Alahassane pursued business studies at HEC Paris while Fousseni focused on agroforestry and agronomy.
The factory's commitment to quality and traceability, along with the use of renewable energy, aligns with the growing demand for sustainable practices.
Their products are competitively priced, with a bar of chocolate costing 1,200 CFA francs ($2) compared to other brands that range from 2,500 to 4,000 francs.
Cocoa processing is crucial in Ivory Coast, where it supports five million jobs, or one-sixth of the population.
The government sets a record price for cocoa at 2,800 CFA francs per kilo.
However, local growers like Kanga Prudence N’Guessan and Harouna Ouattara express hopes that more processing stays within the country to reduce costs associated with exporting raw materials.
Fousseni identifies financing and a lack of skilled labor as the main obstacles to cocoa processing in Ivory Coast.
Despite these challenges, the brothers' factory has already created 1,000 direct and indirect jobs for locals, with technical positions held by young people trained in larger cities such as Abidjan and San Pedro.
Salimata Ouattara, a chemist at the factory, is dedicated to helping local youth gain knowledge about industrialization.
Through their efforts and commitment to sustainable practices, Fousseni and Alahassane Diakite are paving the way for a potentially transformative shift in Ivory Coast's cocoa industry.
Despite being the world's leading cocoa producer, Ivory Coast exports much of its production due to limited local processing capabilities.
The factory, which began operations in August, has an annual processing capacity of 36,000 tons with a target of reaching 80,000 tons.
This is significantly less than major players like Cargill and Barry Callebaut, who process between 100,000 and 200,000 tons annually in the country.
The brothers, whose family has been involved in cocoa production for generations, established a union of cooperatives that brings together over 4,000 producers.
They also founded companies to produce cocoa butter for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics as well as food products.
To enhance their expertise, Alahassane pursued business studies at HEC Paris while Fousseni focused on agroforestry and agronomy.
The factory's commitment to quality and traceability, along with the use of renewable energy, aligns with the growing demand for sustainable practices.
Their products are competitively priced, with a bar of chocolate costing 1,200 CFA francs ($2) compared to other brands that range from 2,500 to 4,000 francs.
Cocoa processing is crucial in Ivory Coast, where it supports five million jobs, or one-sixth of the population.
The government sets a record price for cocoa at 2,800 CFA francs per kilo.
However, local growers like Kanga Prudence N’Guessan and Harouna Ouattara express hopes that more processing stays within the country to reduce costs associated with exporting raw materials.
Fousseni identifies financing and a lack of skilled labor as the main obstacles to cocoa processing in Ivory Coast.
Despite these challenges, the brothers' factory has already created 1,000 direct and indirect jobs for locals, with technical positions held by young people trained in larger cities such as Abidjan and San Pedro.
Salimata Ouattara, a chemist at the factory, is dedicated to helping local youth gain knowledge about industrialization.
Through their efforts and commitment to sustainable practices, Fousseni and Alahassane Diakite are paving the way for a potentially transformative shift in Ivory Coast's cocoa industry.
