Cocoa is one of Africa’s most precious and important crops, and is the key ingredient for chocolate . This year, in Accra , the capital of Ghana, a festival entirely dedicated to this delicacy will take place for the first time, one of the most appreciated in the world for its goodness and its beneficial effects.
For Africa, cocoa represents one of the strongest and most stable points of agriculture: 90% of the primary income of farmers comes from this cultivation. Ghana is among the leaders in cocoa production for quantity and quality of the product. Precisely to protect and recognize the value of this supply chain, in Ghana and throughout Africa, the non-profit organization Know Your Cocoa Foundation (KYCF) has created this festival.
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The Chocolate Festival
The Africa Cocoa & Chocolate Expo (Acce) will be held from 4 to 6 October at the Accra Tourist Information Centre, a major event that will involve industry professionals but also all citizens. A unique opportunity to take stock of the innovation of this sector , to get to know the entire industrial chain up close, participate in round tables, but also discover the use of cocoa in cooking, in cosmetics and as an ingredient in skin care products, taste foods and desserts.
The cocoa plant
Known since ancient times, cocoa is considered the “ food of the Gods ” for its beneficial properties (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-stress). Cocoa is obtained from a particular type of tree that produces fruits (cabosse), which in turn contain a pulp with seeds ( cocoa beans ). Cocoa trees are found in a hot and humid climate, such as that of the Equator.
African countries Ghana and Ivory Coast are among the largest cocoa producers , growing more than half of the world’s production. Nigeria and Cameroon follow. Indonesia, Brazil and Ecuador complete the top seven cocoa-growing nations.