About COPABO COOP-CA

Founded in 1999, the COPABO (Cooperative Agricultural Producers Bondoukou) brings together small producers of raw cashew nuts. Since 2004, women have been included as members in the cooperative to initiate the transformation of cashew kernels.

Members of management board
Members of management board

COPABO- cooperative is in the Gontougo region of Ivory Coast and it is engaged in the collect and marketing of products such as primarily cashew nuts, and also yam, coffee and cocoa.
Although women in this rural area, as in most rural areas of the Ivory Coast, have no access to many services such as education, local socio-political structures, they are traditionally very active in the food processing of raw materials.
Therefore to meet their needs and to empower them and fight against marginalization and poverty, women in the Zanzan region joined COPABO in 2014. The female members of the cooperative were involved in the shelling of cashews, activity which was not previously represented because most cooperatives exported raw cashew nuts to India, where they were shelled. In addition to the shelling activity of cashew nuts, which now makes COPABO and constitutes an added value, managers have registered the cooperative fair trade for the benefit of shellers.

PHOTO-DE-GROUPE
The members of the cooperative to the 15th AG, on March 17th, 2016

In addition to the stability that Fairtrade members COPABO, this activity has many potential such as guaranteed prices and

markets through fair opportunity, marketing a semi-processed products with high added value less sensitive to market fluctuations, the valuation of women’s work, and the marketing and export capabilities. Fair trade allows women members of the cooperative to be paid from 40 to 70% more than local intermediaries do not pay, which is an extraordinary added value for producers.
Women’s groups are sub-sections of the cooperative. These groups have organized to make shelling a sustainable economic activity. As full members of the cooperative, the women’s groups participate in various decision making. COPABO a longtime exporter of raw cashew nuts, is now exporting almonds and helps make men and women players in the local economy.

10 millions FCFA

COPABO (The Cooperative Agricultural Producers Bondoukou achieved a financial surplus of 10 million CFA francs in fiscal year 2015

 

 

 

2000 T Sold
The Cooperative sold 2000 MT and processed 70 MT of cashews, when adding cocoa sale, COPABO had a total turnover of 900 million CFA francs in 2015.
52 million FCFA
A development premium of more than 52 million FCFA after the sale of its products, allowed to conduct some social welfare activities for its members, including boots gift, limes and machetes for plantation maintenance as well as school kits to children.
The COPABO cooperative collects the raw material or raw cashew nuts from its members, and cashews are dispatched to the three existing processing units.

Transformation

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In conversion facilities cashew nuts are weakened in the vapor then dried before the shelling(dissection) (A semi-mechanized action(share) which consists in placing the walnut in a machine which breaks the hull(shell) of the walnut in two). Once peeled(analysed) they are slightly roasted in the oven during six hours to allow the dépélliculage (this action(share) is manual. She(it) consists in removing the skin which surrounds almonds(kernels) by means of a small knife). Dépélliculées almonds(kernels) are then sorted out by ranks and transferred towards the platform of conditioning(packaging).

Packaging Platform

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The COPABO cooperative has a unity(unit) dedicated to the conditioning(packaging) of almonds(kernels). This platform of conditioning(packaging) is an important stage in the logistics export. All the transformed walnuts arrive in this unity(unit), almonds(kernels) are checked(controlled) there last time before being packed in transparent bags PP / PP under vacuum. Once almonds(kernels) under vacuum, the COPABO takes care of observing the quality of bags before putting them cardboard

Quality

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  • The rate of humidity of almonds is between 2,30 and 3,60 %
  • Regular analyses check the rate of humidity, aflatoxines and the microbiological parameters
  • Every bag of almonds contains the necessary information: the number of prize, date of packaging, rank. To guarantee an optimal traceability