Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is scheduled to grace the historic first edition of Ghana Cocoa Awards (GCA) scheduled for November 22, 2019 in Accra.

Nominations for the GCA opened September 20 and due to close on October 31, 2019.

GCA is an excellence motivation initiative for the Ghana cocoa industry and organised by VC Media with support from strategic industry partners including ECOM Ghana, Solidaridad West Africa and The Hershey Company.

“With over 30 Awards, the GCA would be honouring the true heroes behind Ghana’s economic backbone”, a statement signed by Founder and Events Director, Kojo Hayford noted.

Mr. Hayford added, “honouring the hardworking actors and true heroes of Ghana’s economic backbone is very relevant in appreciating their contribution to the economy and national development, and to spur them on for even greater achievements in production, processing, innovation, sustainability and consumption promotion.”

He commended the industry regulator, Ghana Cocoa Board, for an excellent work done over the years in achieving and maintaining the production of premium cocoa beans that Ghana is respected and celebrated all over the world.

GCA would assemble the giants in the Ghana cocoa industry to celebrate outstanding players at the various stages of the value chain and put them under the spotlight for special recognition.

Sustainability efforts

Categories awards include Cocoa Sustainability Literacy Award (Essay competition), Best Journalist for Cocoa Reporting, Best Certification Scheme of the year and Best Cocoa Financing Institution of the year.

Agro input, buying and processing

Also covered are Licenced Buying Company of the year, Logistics Company of the Year, Haulage Company of the year, Agro Input of the Year for fertilizer, chemical and farm implement divisions, Best Processing Company of the year for Tertiary, Semi-finished and Artisanal divisions, Chocolate Brand of the Year for Large Scale and Artisanal divisions, Cocoa Beverage Product of the year and Cocoa Cosmetics Product of the year.

R&D, innovation and consumption promotion

Others are Cocoa Products Distributor of the year, the Most Innovative Cocoa Product of the year, Best Packaging Innovation of the year, Cocoa Community Energy Innovation of the year, Research & Development Project of the year and Technology for Cocoa Value Chain of the year.

There are also the Cocoa Consumption Campaign (advert) of the year, Best Cocoa Consumption Ambassador of the year, Best Cocoa NGO of the year, and Best Cocoa Sustainability Initiative of the year.

Outstanding cocoa personalities

Ghana Cocoa Awards will, in addition, recognise the Sustainability Advocacy Personality of the Year, Cocoa Entrepreneur of the Year, Cocoa Lifetime Achievement and the ultimate, the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Personality of the year.