Suhum is a district in southern Ghana, about an hour outside of the country’s capital of Accra. The region is largely rural, with most villagers relying upon agriculture, mainly cacao. Due to government restrictions, throughout the country cacao must be processed individually by the farmer before being sold to an association, limiting locals’ potential to increase their income. This means that even if farmers can afford to become organic or Fair Trade certified, their earning potential is still limited by current market prices. Luckily, a regional cooperative in Suhum has partnered with cacao importer Uncommon Cacao to bring high quality, traceable Ghanaian cacao to the world, and bring a higher price to the cacao farmers.

This farmer cooperative is based in southern Ghana, and is known for producing the highest quality traceable cacao in the region. It’s one of the cacaos imported by Uncommon Cacao, a US-based cacao distributor. ABOCFA’s beans are different from most specialty cacao origins in that they aren’t centrally fermented in one location, as The Ghana Cocoa Board doesn’t permit the sale or purchase of wet cacao. ABOCFA’s network contains 13 communities of farmers, each of which has three representatives who report directly to the ABOCFA cooperative leadership for annual general meetings. The cooperative also democratically decides where quality and Fair Trade premiums go every year. Their cacao has a classically fudgy and rich flavor, chocolaty without being bitter or astringent. (Photo credit: Uncommon Cacao)