Accra: The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has urged students of Achimota School to appreciate the value of cocoa and support locally produced chocolate as part of activities marking the National Chocolate Week. Addressing hundreds of students at the school in Accra, Mrs. Maame Efua Houadjeto, the Chief Executive Officer of GTA, said the visit was intentional and aimed at helping students understand the origin and value chain of chocolate.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mrs. Houadjeto took the students through the cocoa value chain, explaining the processes from harvesting and drying the beans to processing and manufacturing into finished chocolate products. 'It starts from the cocoa farm and goes through several processes before it becomes chocolate,' she said, urging the students to appreciate the efforts of farmers whose livelihoods depended on cocoa production.
Mrs. Houadjeto described Ghana's cocoa as among the best in the world and noted that about 70 percent of the cocoa used globally for chocolate production came from Ghana. She emphasized that Ghana produced both conventional and organic cocoa, with the latter cultivated without the use of chemicals. 'They take very good care of it to ensure it grows well. Cocoa pods and dried leaves are used as natural fertiliser. We have both regular and organic cocoa,' she said.
'Cocoa is not merely an agricultural product; it represents history, resilience, and opportunity,' Mrs. Houadjeto stated. She highlighted the health benefits of cocoa, noting that natural cocoa was rich in antioxidants that improved blood flow to the brain, enhanced memory and concentration, and promoted alertness when consumed in moderation.
She also mentioned that Ghanaian chocolate contained a minimum of 40 percent cocoa, with some dark varieties containing as much as 92 percent, making them healthier than some foreign brands that contained between four and 10 percent. 'We have about 16 different types of chocolate in Ghana currently. Do not be deceived by foreign chocolates. Buy made-in-Ghana chocolate,' she urged.
Mrs. Houadjeto added that cocoa had numerous by-products, including cocoa powder for beverages, cocoa cream, black soap, and syrups. 'Nothing is wasted in the cocoa value chain,' she said. She encouraged the students to protect the environment, stressing that healthy soil, forests, and water bodies were essential for sustainable cocoa cultivation. 'As young people being nurtured in a school founded on unity and responsibility, you have a duty to protect the environment and safeguard the land that grows cocoa and Ghana's heritage,' she said.