A 35,000 member cocoa-producing co-operative, which uses fair trade revenue to fund community projects including extra schools and health clinics, provide access to credit and banking services, and to provide equipment which improves efficiencies by reducing the amount of physical labour involved in the cocoa production process.

In order to combat the threat of  farmers losing out during the liberalisation of the cocoa market in 1993, a group of cocoa farmers including a visionary farmer representative on the Ghana Cocoa Board, Nana Frimpong Abrebrese, came together to form a co-operative that would collect and sell its own cocoa for the member farmers' own benefit.

They set up their own company to buy their cocoa and sell it on to the Government Cocoa Buying Board. The cocoa farmers' organisation was founded and named Kuapa Kokoo which in the local language, Twi, means "Good Cocoa Farmers Company". Their motto is "Pa Pa Paa" which means "the best of the best of the best".

The organisation is for farmers and set up by them with the mission to effect:

• increased power and representation within the market for the farmers
• social, economic and political empowerment
• enhanced women's participation in all its affairs
• environmentally sustainable production processes

As a result of the extra fair trade financial premium paid to the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Trust, a number of developmental projects have been implemented and since October 1998 these have included over 46 water well projects to provide clean water to village communities, over 7 income generating projects for womens' groups, 1 school building project and 1 latrine project.

The benefits to farmers has meant huge growth for Kuapa which now has 40,000 members from over 950 village societies throughout Ghana. Kuapa's output now accounts for 8% of Ghanaian cocoa production and 1% of the world cocoa crop.