COPAK Sarl, subsidiary of Envirium Life Sciences, is proud to announce the opening of two post-harvest fermentation centers based in Mwenda and Oïcha in the North Kivu Province (Democratic Republic of Congo). Local authorities, ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature) and Virunga Foundation team attended the inaugural ceremonies as well as COPAK’s partners, Le Jardin and COAGES, two local cooperatives who will be managing the centers. This project has been be possible through the support of Virunga Foundation, a key player in the development of the area.

In the past few months, a tenfold of workers have been trained by COPAK to ensure excellent cocoa production. COPAK aims to have ten centers up and running in the region by the end of the year 2023 to produce a minimum of 400 t of superior cocoa. “*These centers guarantee a high-quality cocoa for our customers, sets Dimitri Moreels, Co-CEO of Envirium. Fermentation and drying processes are crucial for the development of flavors. In order for the beans to initiate the forming of chocolate aromas, fermentation has to be well processed in a specific and controlled manner to reach the standard of excellence.

Moreover, the fermentation* and sun-drying processes are time-consuming for the farmers: “This means an extra workload for them since cocoa has to be protected against theft, against quality issues, etc. Our centers are going to help them to get a better price, to be paid quicker, to decrease their workload. At the same time, COPAK improves the quality of the cocoa bean. This is local value creation for all partners involved”, explains Dimitri Moreels.

Envirium business model aims at improving farmers livelihoods by creating a fair value chain for all the stakeholders: “We are fortunate to have customers who support this effort. This includes Puratos, a global player in the chocolate industry, which is committed to a sustainable future for their cocoa-based products. Their Cacao-Trace program is central to the swift development of these ten centers”, says Dimitri Moreels.

📷 Kizo for Envirium Life Sciences

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