Cultivation & Post-Harvest Practices

Regenerative organic farming practices for sustainable production and good product quality

For KANY, regenerative organic agriculture means the promotion of Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF), zero-use of agrochemicals, regular weeding, pruning and sanitary harvest, via manual or mechanical methods, as well as soil preservation.

Soil preservation & ecology

According to the ROC program, soil health is monitored regularly through field observations and soil analysis.

Leaving dead leaves and pruning and harvest residues on the ground are simple methods that are applied by KANY´s farmers to restore and protect the soil.

Harvesting the cocoa pods

Good harvest and post harvest practices are crucial to achieve the best quality cocoa beans. KANY recommends to farmers to harvest the pods every 15 days.

Opening the Pods

The cocoa pods are opened after harvesting. The selection of quality pods comes next (¾ yellow or orange), then the perfect beans (bright white beans, with no defects) are chosen for the fermentation step.
KANY supports the farmers in the implementation of this critical activity: a team of more than 10 field supervisors helps farmers and monitors harvest and post-harvest activities.

Fermentation & Drying of Cocoa

Fermentation is another critical step that develops the characteristic flavors and aromas of cocoa. It is generally done at the farm in a traditional vegetal structure, taking six days, turning the beans every two days.

For more homogeneity of batches and to avoid weather-related risks, the best post-harvest methods include centralized fermentation in wooden boxes with controlled drying. Since October 2023, KANY has had centralized fermentation with a solar dryer. This important equipment was provided by GIZ, the main German development agency, as an important part of the ongoing support to KANY.

Weighing & Mobile-Money Payment

When KANY was created, farmers were skeptical to accept that the weighing of their cocoa was to be done on KANY´s scale. This was due to the fact that fraudulent weighing practices are common in the sector.

Today, no more weighing is done in the bush. 100% of farmers accept weighing their cocoa beans on KANY´s correctly calibrated scales. Transparent product payments are then made using mobile-money transfers. This is a big step forward in building trust with farmers

Want to get these finest organic and fair trade quality cocoa beans?

We are looking forward to hearing from you!