I love to share news about Kuapa Kokoo. That's because it is truly best-in-class cocoa farmer's cooperative; its members are part owners of Divine Chocolate. Today we are pleased to share some more exciting news from Kuapa:  Christiana Ohene Agyare has been elected as President of the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers' Union (KKFU) at the cooperative's AGM attended by 2,600 delegates in Kumasi, Ghana this month. Ms. Ohene Agyare is the first woman President of the Kuapa Kokoo, which is the major shareholder in Divine Chocolate Inc. She will be heading up an organization which this year bought 28,000,000 tonnes of cocoa from its members, and turned over nearly $50 million across the whole Kuapa Kokoo group. [caption id="attachment_4732" align="aligncenter" width="247" caption="President PCK Buah hands over to Christiana Ohene Agyare"][/caption] Ms. Ohene Agyare, a cocoa farmer with an 11 acre farm, served as Treasurer for the last 4 years and as Recorder in her village society. Her election is a testament to the cooperative's long term commitment to gender equality. Since its inception in 1993 Kuapa has required women's participation at every level of the organization, from village societies through to the National Executive.

"Divine Chocolate is thrilled to share the news of this historic election with consumers and businesses in America. Cocoa plays an important role in the lives of women cocoa farmers in West Africa and through Kuapa Kokoo and Divine these same women are afforded the opportunity to have a say and an impact in the global industry. Together with women (and men) who love chocolate in America, we will continue to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farming families." - Erin Gorman, CEO of Divine Chocolate in the USA.