Twin Brothers Aim to Transform Ivory Coast’s Cocoa Industry with New Processing Plant

In the heart of southern Ivory Coast, the rhythmic hum of machinery fills a new chocolate factory in Divo, where twin brothers Fousseni and Alahassane Diakite are pursuing an ambitious dream — to become giants in cocoa processing and help transform the world’s top cocoa-producing nation.

Ivory Coast, which goes to the polls for its presidential election this Saturday, produces nearly 45 percent of the world’s cocoa. Yet, despite its global dominance, the country processes only about 40 percent of its cocoa locally, exporting most of it raw to international markets. The Diakite brothers are determined to change that.

In August, the 33-year-old twins inaugurated their state-of-the-art factory in Divo, a cocoa-rich region located about 200 kilometers from the economic capital, Abidjan. The facility currently has an annual processing capacity of 36,000 tons of cocoa, with a target of 80,000 tons in the coming years.

While multinational companies such as Cargill, Barry Callebaut, and Olam process between 100,000 and 200,000 tons of cocoa annually in Ivory Coast, the Diakites believe their edge lies in the quality and authenticity of their products.

“Sons of a cocoa farmer, we are the pure products of Ivorian cocoa,” said Fousseni. “We were sure what we were building was not just for us, but to inspire other generations.”

After finishing high school, the brothers formed a cooperative union of over 4,000 cocoa producers before launching their first venture to produce cocoa butter for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Later, they expanded into food processing, creating chocolate bars and spreads made entirely in Ivory Coast.

Alahassane, who studied business in Abidjan and trained at HEC Paris, manages operations and strategy, while Fousseni, trained in agroforestry and agronomy, oversees production. “We complement each other perfectly,” said Alahassane.

Their products are affordable and proudly local — a chocolate bar costs 1,200 CFA francs (about $2), compared with imported brands priced between 2,500 and 4,000 francs ($4 to $7). Their chocolate spread sells for as little as 100 francs ($0.16), making it accessible to everyday consumers.

At a time when global demand for ethical and sustainable products is growing, the brothers emphasize traceability and sustainability. Their factory runs entirely on renewable energy, and all production processes are transparent from bean to bar.

Cocoa is the backbone of Ivory Coast’s economy, supporting nearly five million people — about one-sixth of the population. Yet, local farmers and experts have long called for more domestic processing to increase profits and job creation.

“Our wish is not to send our cocoa abroad,” said farmer Kanga Prudence N’Guessan. “Once it’s processed there, it becomes two or three times more expensive.”

The Diakite brothers’ factory, built at a cost of nearly €50 million ($58 million), has already created 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, most of them local. “The first obstacle was financing, and the second was finding skilled labor,” Fousseni admitted. But with determination — and a growing team of trained young professionals like chemist Salimata Ouattara — the brothers are proving that Ivory Coast’s cocoa story can be rewritten from within.