Cocoa Quality and Analysis Training with LACRA
July 31, 2025
Event Details
GROW-2 has been actively improving quality assurance and compliance in Liberia’s cocoa sector. A major initiative was the Cocoa Quality Bean Training, which equipped LACRA’s new technical staff with essential skills in post-harvest processing, export inspection, and quality standards. The training emphasised best practices to maintain cocoa quality for global markets and strengthen the Liberia cocoa brand. Key objectives included:
- Strengthening LACRA agents’ expertise in FCC quality techniques, grading, sealing, and flavor profiling.
- Improving agents’ skills in conducting quality checks, detecting defects, and ensuring adherence to international standards.
Through a cost-sharing partnership with LACRA, a Ghanaian expert trained 150 LACRA members and 10 quality control staff from registered cocoa exporters across the country. The sessions, held in Ganta and Monrovia, focused on:
- Developing technical skills in cocoa grading and FCC analysis—crucial for addressing quality challenges.
- Combining theory and practice through group and individual exercises and real-time analysis.
Participants gained practical experience in evaluating key quality indicators such as:
- Moisture content
- Fermentation quality
- Sensory evaluation
They also learned FCC-compliant physical assessment methods, enabling them to:
- Perform independent FCC testing
- Support a strong quality assurance system in Liberia’s cocoa industry
