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Cocolomex is an agricultural raw materials export company founded in March 2015 by a Togolese national and the Swiss group Cocoasource. It was ranked as the leading cocoa exporter in Togo by the Coffee and Cocoa Exporters Council during the 2023-2024 season, with a volume of 3,000 tonnes out of an estimated national production of 12,000 tonnes. It has contributed to the structuring of a union of cooperatives (IBA) composed of 1,856 producers of coffee and cocoa only and more than 430 producers of organic soya. Thanks to its diversification strategy, Cocolomex is active in several sectors: cocoa, cashew, soya and, since 2024, coffee. This enables it to reach a significant number of producers, given that the potential for coffee and cocoa in Togo remains limited due to the lack of suitable land for these crops.
Togo is a low-income country facing numerous development challenges. It ranks 162nd out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI), with an HDI of 0.512 and a poverty rate of nearly 50%. Microfinance institutions play a vital role in financing the informal economy and strengthening financial inclusion. The cocoa sector in Togo is undergoing a transformation, with growing recognition on the international stage. At the 2023 edition of the ‘Cacao of Excellence’ competition in Amsterdam, Togo won three medals highlighting the exceptional quality of its cocoa, characterised by fruity notes and a mild bitterness.
Cocolomex supports the IBA cooperative union in obtaining Rainforest Alliance certification. It organises training sessions for producers on a variety of topics, with a particular focus on agroforestry, soil management and conservation, and erosion control techniques.
