HOW TO USE BY-PRODUCTS OF COCOA, CASSAVA AND PLANTAIN PROCESSING

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking of cocoa, cooking banana and manioc products? Most likely, you were not thinking of mushroom substrate, fuel briquettes, or vinegar. However, those are all products that derive from cocoa, plantain and cassava plants.

The cocoa plant has a lot more to offer than just cocoa beans for delicious chocolate. The beans, coated in mucilage, excrete a juice that can be collected during the fermentation of the beans after harvest. The fermented juice turns into tasty cocoa vinegar for salads and cooking. Further, the beans are safely stored in a thick shell. Compositing the shell results in a nutritious fertiliser for plants or substrate for mushroom production. After injecting the plastic-wrapped substrate with mushroom mycelium, it has to be stored in a dry space. Within a few weeks, the mushrooms are ready to harvest. Dried and pressed cocoa shells are fuel briquettes serving as substitutes instead of wood or coal. The skin of the cassava tuber as well as the leaves of banana plants are a good source for fertiliser and briquettes. It is even possible to extract fibres from banana plant trunks and spin twine from it, which can be used to produce cocoa or coffee bags.

As a side effect, removing the cocoa shells and juice from the fields reduces the accumulation of phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium that become toxic to the soil in too high concentrations.

Côte d’Ivoire produces 40% of the cocoa in the world and yet almost 55% of the cocoa producers and their families live below the poverty line. The processing and marketing of by-products offers a grand opportunity to diversify income streams and thus reduces risks and increases food security. Supporting small and medium enterprises (SME) or farmer cooperatives in adopting the processing of by-products can increase their income and creates jobs.

As part of the Green Innovation Centre for the Agriculture and Food Sector in Côte d’Ivoire, funded by GIZ, AFC has promoted cocoa, cassava and plantain processing and marketing since 2019. In the cocoa value chain, almost 800 managers and employees of SME were trained in quality improvement, production of vinegar, compost, champignons and drinking chocolate and food safety certifications such as HACCP.

To support innovation and the creation of new business and jobs, we supported the installation of two training centres. At the “National Polytechnic Institute Félix Houphouët-Boigny” in

Yamoussoukro cocoa bean processing is supported. Start-ups or SME will receive trainings on transformation processes and tools, packaging, quality control and food safety certification. Once established, the training centre will provide equipment for producing cocoa butter, cocoa powder and chocolate. Moreover, training in business development, accounting, marketing and access to finance will be offered. At the “National Agency for Support to Rural Development” training centre in Gagnoa producers, cooperatives and SME will be supported in the processing of cocoa, cassava and plantain by-products. Three training units on the production of briquettes, vinegar, and mushrooms and compost are planned where producers receive hands-on training and are able to test the required equipment.

As William Brody said:

“Knowledge drives innovation, innovation drives productivity, productivity drives economic growth” disseminating innovation and increasing productivity. With training and access to financing the processing of cocoa shells, cassava leaves and plantain fibres can sustainably improve the income of smallholder farms, employment and regional food supply.

– the utilisation of cocoa, manioc and plantain by-products in Côte d’Ivoire is still at the very beginning. Nevertheless, the knowledge exists already and the establishment of the training centres in Yamoussoukro and Gagnoa are the first step towards

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