The European Union (EU), CERATH Development Organization (CDO), La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly,and Tree Crops Center officially concluded the EU-funded Coconut Waste Project (COWAP) with a successful closure workshop held at the Coconut Waste Processing Hub in Danfa community. The event brought together stakeholders from various sectors, including government representatives, community leaders, industry partners, and coconut vendors, to reflect on the project’s achievements and explore pathways for sustainability.
Over the past four years, COWAP has worked towards transforming the management of coconut husk waste in communities within the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipality. By turning discarded coconut husks waste into value-added products, such as coco peat, coir fibre, and coconut shells, the project not only addressed environmental concerns but also created economic opportunities for local communities, particularly for women and youth.
A landmark achievement of the project was the construction and inauguration of a coconut husk waste processing facility located at Danfa in 2023. This facility forms part of COWAP’s efforts to create and sustain a green and circular economy in the coconut value chain by engaging coconut vendors, youth job seekers, and communities within the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipality. The factory has created 111 jobs for women and youth as managers, factory hands, aggregators, and mechanics within the municipality and provided an efficient means for handling the difficult-to-manage coconut husks.
The Country Director of CDO, Lucille Abruquah, expressed profound gratitude on behalf of the organization; “We express our heartfelt gratitude to government institutions such as the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), whose guidance and cooperation have been invaluable. We further extend our special thanks to the Municipal Chief Executive of LaNMMA, Hon. Jennifer Dede Afagbei; the Municipal Coordinating Director, Madam Abena Kwesiwaa Kyei; and the municipal development and physical planning department of LaNMMA. Their invaluable contributions and steadfast support were instrumental in the project’s successful implementation.”
Speaking at the workshop, Paulina Rozycka, Head of Infrastructure & Sustainable Development, European Union, lauded the achievement of the project and emphasised the support of the EU in promoting green and circular economy in Ghana.
About COWAP
The project, having commenced in December 2020, has the primary goal of fostering a green-circular economy and generating livelihood opportunities by adding value to coconut husks in the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality. The objectives of the project are to implement a coconut waste aggregation system, establish a processing centre to convert the waste into value-added products, and create linkages with market actors for the procurement of the value-added products.
