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Koa has achieved a breakthrough in driving transparency in the cocoa industry. The Ghanaian- Swiss start-up is launching a system, using blockchain technology, that proves payments and higher income for cocoa farmers.

In an international collaboration with the companies seed- trace (Germany) and MTN Ghana, Koa has implemented a new, tamper-proof and scalable transparency system that records payments made to cocoa smallholders. Mobile money transactions are verified in real-time and are irreversibly stored on a blockchain.

Transactions are made publicly available, differentiating themselves from existing certification labels, providing consumers with direct proof that farmers receive the full payment.

Over the last decades, supply chain scandals and cocoa farmer poverty have continued to rock the cocoa industry, leading to increased consumer demand and political efforts to improve the transparency and accountability within the cocoa industry. Yet, consumers struggle to put their trust in brands and their initiatives.

While products carry certification labels, the inevitable question remains: How can I be sure that farmers receive the money that they’re entitled to?

Koa, the Ghanaian-Swiss start-up making use of cocoa food waste, has set sail to disrupt transparency standards and to enable consumers to obtain assurance. “We want to get rid of long, non-transparent supply chains,” emphasises Anian Schreiber, Managing Director and Co-Founder at Koa. “Instead of claiming good practices, we put our cards on the table to let the consumers witness each transaction to farmers.” The start-up is known for upcycling the white pulp that surrounds the cocoa beans, thereby significantly increasing the income of Ghanaian smallholders, while offering a solution to reduce farmer poverty. Koa is working with over 2,200 cocoa farmers and will add an additional 10,000 farmers to its value chain in the next two years.