We Helped Launch Africa’s First Cocoa Traceability Center: The COOKO Story
2021 – 2025: From Vision to Reality
The first mile traceability of cocoa production, from farm gate to export, now has a name — COOKO, the pioneering cocoa traceability research center in Africa!
The journey with COOKO began in 2021, thanks to a trusted recommendation connecting our Founder and Managing Attorney, Epanty MBANDA, to COOKO as the leading corporate, tax and technology lawyer in Cameroon.
What unfolded next was nothing short of transformational.
When we first engaged with the CEO of COOKO, Ferdi Van Heerden it was clear: this was not just another #AgriTech startup. COOKO had a bold mission — to revolutionize cocoa production in Africa, starting with Cameroon.
Their goals were clear:
✅ Combat child labour
✅ Improve farmers’ livelihoods
✅ Enhance cocoa quality
✅ Fight environmental degradation
Here’s how we helped turn this vision into reality:
🔍 1. Legal Opinion : We provided a comprehensive legal roadmap to navigate Cameroon’s legal landscape, with actionable recommendations approved by COOKO’s CEO.
🏢 2. Company Restructuring : We realigned the corporate structure of COOKO’s Cameroon subsidiary to fit its AgriTech ambitions and secured compliance with all key administrations.
📄 3. Authorization to Operate in Cameroon : As a foreign-owned subsidiary, COOKO needed an authorization to do business in Cameroon. We successfully obtained it, opening doors for operations.
🌱 4. Land Acquisition : For such a flagship project, strategy was key. We advised against direct immatriculation and opted for a government concession — securing land in Ntui, a thriving cocoa basin in Cameroon.
💰 5. Funding Structuring : We facilitated funding flows between COOKO GmbH and COOKO, LTD, ensuring compliance with the Central Bank and tax authorities.
🌍 6. Authorization to Purchase & Export Cocoa : We secured every required license and registration, from cocoa purchaser cards to exporter codes — making COOKO officially recognized as an exporter of premium cocoa!
🎉 Milestone Moment: On April 5, 2025, COOKO demonstrated to the government of Cameroon represented by the Minister of Trade, its end-to-end traceability methodology of cocoa production from farm gate to export and the resultant improved quality.
With its methodology based primarily on traceability, COOKO can help cocoa companies demonstrate that their cocoa is #EUDR compliant.
