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Cocoa

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is revolutionising the Solomon Islands cocoa sector through investments in local enterprises and extensive marketing efforts, stimulating in-country value addition and generating an increased demand for local cocoa products.

Advancing the Cocoa Sector in the Solomon Islands

The Cocoa program’s objective is to enhance the cocoa sector's capacity for value-added processing, improve supply chains, and expand market opportunities for Solomon Islands cocoa products through strategic investments and partnerships. These efforts aim to increase incomes and jobs, reduce risks, improve supply chains, and promote product diversification to create a more robust and profitable cocoa sector in the Solomon Islands.

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is revolutionising the Solomon Islands cocoa sector through investments in local enterprises and extensive marketing efforts, stimulating in-country value addition and generating an increased demand for local cocoa products.

Why Cocoa

Cocoa is one of Solomon Islands’ biggest agricultural export earners, providing income opportunities for over 25,000 smallholder farmers and over 10 processors/exporters, as well as generating SBD 15 million in export sales annually.

Currently, more than 90% of dried beans are exported to the bulk market with no value-addition. However, there is a huge potential for greater revenue generation from domestic and export sales of processed value-added cocoa products such as chocolate, cocoa nibs, butter and paste.

Strategy

Commercial Scale Value-Addition Processing:

  • Support key partners (Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands, Tupaghotua Cocoa Plantation, Lukasco Group, and Cathliro Ltd) in maximizing the use of value-adding machinery to produce cocoa nibs, paste, butter, powder, and chocolates for domestic and export markets.
  • Utilize short-term technical advisers like the ‘Cocoa Ambassador’ to optimize machinery efficiency and product quality.

Increasing Cocoa Bean Aggregation:

  • Expand the network of farmer suppliers and contract with large plantations to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality beans.
  • Train farmers in crop management, post-harvest handling, and planting improved varieties to enhance bean quality and supply.

Identification and Development of New Markets:

  • Work with processors to expand existing markets and identify new domestic and international distribution channels.
  • Facilitate a visit by international buyers to explore new market opportunities and negotiate future supply contracts.
  • Support marketing efforts to raise awareness of Solomon Islands cocoa products, including media advertising and product launches.

Cross - Cutting Themes

  • GEDSI Mainstreaming: Promote the involvement of women, youth, and people with disabilities in training sessions, research initiatives, and throughout the cocoa value chain.

  • Public-Private Collaboration: Align program efforts with the Solomon Islands Government’s national development objectives to support in-country value-addition and economic growth.

  • Australian Business Collaboration: Promote increased investments in value-added production and marketing of Solomon Islands cocoa to Australian buyers. Utilize the services of the ‘Cocoa Ambassador’ to provide export market advice to local processors and facilitate investments from Australian and other international cocoa buyers.

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Impact Outcomes

  • Economic Growth: Increased revenue for cocoa processors and farmers through value-added product sales in domestic and export markets.
  • Enhanced Market Access: New distribution channels and market opportunities for high-quality cocoa products.
  • Inclusive Participation: Greater involvement of women, youth, and people with disabilities in the cocoa sector.
  • Improved Agricultural Practices: Enhanced crop management and post-harvest techniques leading to better-quality cocoa beans.

Current partners

Strongim Bisnis assists partners with product diversification and value-addition, aggregation of high-quality dried beans and identifying new domestic and export markets for cocoa products to stimulate the sector’s growth and to generate increased income and jobs.

The program has established partnerships with six cocoa processors that procure dried beans from farmers in remote areas of Makira, Malaita, Western and Guadalcanal Provinces, contributing to provincial economic growth.

KPSI, Lukkasco, Tupaghotua, Cathliro

Partner highlight: Adding value with Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands (KPSI)

In 2023, Strongim Bisnis partnered with key cocoa processors, including KPSI, to boost the Solomon Islands' cocoa sector. Investments in processing machinery, supply chain enhancement, and market development aimed to increase revenue for businesses and farming households by producing high-quality value-added cocoa products for domestic and export markets.

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OUR Cocoa NEWS

Media release

September 7, 2020

Supporting Solomons Gold And Solomon Islands Cocoa Farmers

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June 17, 2020

Training Helps Farmers Improve Cocoa Quality

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Our

Cocoa

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Explore Our Programs

Tackling the nation’s trade and investment challenges, we work to provide solutions for businesses and investors in the coconut, cocoa, tourism, waste management, timber, financial services and horticulture industries, while empowering women, youth and people living with disability.

Women's Economic Empowerment

Increasing gender equity and opportunities for women to access and take advantage of resources to create and obtain jobs and move into senior roles throughout the market.

Cocoa

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is revolutionising the Solomon Islands cocoa sector through investments in local enterprises and extensive marketing efforts, stimulating in-country value addition and generating an increased demand for local cocoa products.

Coconut

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is strengthening growth of the coconut industry through marketing and diversification of the product range of existing producers, bringing sustainability and resilience to businesses.

GEDSI

Strongim Bisnis is working to create more inclusive economic opportunities by actively supporting Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI). Through targeted interventions and partnerships, the program helps remove barriers to participation, such as limited access to resources and decision-making. By promoting inclusiveness across sectors, Strongim Bisnis aims to build a more equitable economy that benefits everyone.

Horticulture

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is expanding its support for smallholder farmers in Guadalcanal Province by improving access to essential resources and services. By partnering with food processing companies, the program continues to open market opportunities.

Timber

The Solomon Islands timber sector relies heavily on round log exports, with only a small fraction of wood exports processed locally. As the natural forest logging industry declines, there is a critical need to expand plantation timber and enhance domestic processing capabilities. Strongim Bisnis is focusing on improving plantation timber value chains and downstream processing to ensure the sector's long-term sustainability.

Tourism

The tourism sector plays a significant role in the Solomon Islands' economy, contributing 10.5% to GDP and generating USD 132.8 million annually before the COVID-19 pandemic. With a goal of reaching 50,000 international visitors per year by 2025, Strongim Bisnis is partnering with high-potential businesses to help the tourism industry grow.

Waste Management

Strongim Bisnis is working on waste streams (initially within Guadalcanal, Central and Western provinces) with the objective of finding sustainable and commercially viable solutions for recycling and waste removal/disposal services. This is aimed at driving economic growth and creating private sector jobs.

Youth & Disability Inclusion

Addressing the vulnerability of unemployed young women and men and the barriers for youth to be included in the economy – especially those who live with disabilities.