Welcome to Kokooland
Exploring the unseen world behind chocolate.
When I started this newsletter, my desire was to bring curious chocolate lovers like you into the cocoa production world.
I wanted each letter to feel like a walk around the village — where I introduce you to some interesting people, share their lived experiences, and explain their connection to cocoa.
But before I could take you around, you needed a background of my work - an understanding of why telling African cocoa stories was necessary.
So, the last ten letters have talked about the need for better cocoa farmer stories, why I started African Cocoa Stories, and how I approach storytelling.
But I’ve cleared my throat enough. And now, it’s time.
It’s time to properly bring you along on my cocoa journeys — to take you around the cocoa chain, show you some fascinating people, experience their culture with you, and discuss the context of cocoa production across Africa.
And so, dear friend, welcome to Kokooland.
Kokooland?
Yes, Kokooland. It will be my term for the areas along the equator where nature has made it possible for the cocoa crop to thrive, and in doing so, has shaped certain human cultures — cultures different from those outside this zone.
Kokooland is the cocoa supply chain reimagined — not as a linear process, but as a world of people living, working, and adapting around cocoa.
It’s a way of seeing the cocoa supply chain as a human world rather than a technical diagram — a network of individuals with names, stories, routines, struggles, and dreams.
In this exclusive series of photo-rich letters, I’ll take you into the homes and farms of people like Mama Theresa and Pastor Philip, who dedicate their time and energy to nurturing the cocoa crop that produces the beans in the chocolate you love.
You’ll also meet someone like Yaw. He doesn’t farm cocoa, but he’s an expert in weeding — that is, using a machete to cut down weeds for cocoa farmers.
Then there’s Kwesi. Like Yaw, he doesn’t own a cocoa farm either. But he works with a cocoa purchasing officer, lifting bags of cocoa onto the scale, filling and sealing jute sacks before they’re sent to warehouses.
Finally, you’ll visit my old lady. She doesn’t farm cocoa, but cocoa farmers pass by her stand to buy roasted corn — and sometimes, she buys fresh corn from them too.
Who are these people? Where are they from? How did they become part of the cocoa ecosystem?
Did they always desire to be part of the cocoa supply chain at all?
When do they hate it in Kokooland?
When do they love it here?
In the end, what can their lived experiences teach us about African culture?
We’ll explore these questions through themes like education, family, community, work, resilience, health, and friendship. And as we do, we’ll understand the specific cultural contexts that influence their lives — and, by extension, their contributions to the cocoa industry.
This will not be a lecture.
I’d love for this to be a continuous interaction. You’ll ask your questions, share your perspectives, and bring your confusions to the discussion table — I want us to learn together and from each other. So, the chat will be open, and you can always reply to each letter via email.
Think of me as your guide — part storyteller, part friend — walking beside you through the cocoa-rich villages of Africa.
But this may not be for you.
If you’re not a culturally curious chocolate lover — if understanding cultures outside your own isn’t your thing — then you don’t need to come on this journey.
But if you’re a chocolate lover, or an Africa-curious person who would love a photo-rich exploration of the often-unseen human world behind chocolate and cocoa, then once again…
Welcome to Kokooland. Please hit the ‘upgrade to paid’ button to join us on this journey.
Thanks for reading this. Take care, and see you in the next one.
❤️
Benjamin Setor
PS:
💌 Some cool messages that keep me going…
"First of all because I really enjoy the Benjamin's photos and I believe that is a great way to call the people's attention for the cacao chain in Ghana, one of the biggest cocoa producers in the world that has wonderful people working on it. Congratulations" - Luciana Monteiro, Brazil
"Behind each bar of chocolate is a farmer that makes it possible. There is a dignity in every farmer and their stories are worth hearing. " - Peter Mueller, USA
“About Mr. Acheampong! He won’t be forgotten thanks to your stories.” - Judy Balk, USA
…beautiful photos…