The Genesis of FAK

The concept of starting a farm began to take root in 2017, driven by a strong interest in cocoa cultivation. Between July 2016 and March 2017, global cocoa prices fell by more than a third, leaving impoverished farmers struggling to meet their needs and support their families. Despite Côte d'Ivoire being the largest cocoa producer in the world, one might expect it to also lead in cocoa-based products. Unfortunately, this is not the case. For instance, when we think of "chocolate," countries like Switzerland, France, and Germany come to mind, while Côte d'Ivoire is rarely mentioned. Even more concerning, the average farmer in Côte d'Ivoire often can't even afford a chocolate bar with their modest income.

Two years later, during a visit to our uncle in Dangbo, Benin, he encouraged us to invest in agriculture. Inspired by his advice, we acquired land in 2019 to cultivate cocoa and process its derivatives for the local market. However, several attempts to drill boreholes failed due to rocky soil and the incompetence of contractors, forcing us to abandon the project.

In 2021, we made another attempt at drilling a borehole, but once again, we were unsuccessful. Then, in 2023, we decided to relocate our agricultural project to Kétou after learning that the region was more suitable for cocoa production. After securing the purchase of 20 hectares of land, we finally achieved success. We began by planting 2 hectares of cocoa, relying on the rainy season during the initial phase while continuing our efforts to drill a borehole and establish an irrigation system. It was from these beginnings that the "Ferme Agropastorale de Kétou (FAK)" was born, and we began to consider expansion.

At the heart of FAK's vision is our commitment to organic farming and livestock rearing, offering quality products and services that align with our values and support local communities. Ultimately, our goal is to transform and market our harvests locally at very affordable prices.