Cocoa crisis meets world first: Cologne-based sartup revolutionises the cocoa industry with world’s first Cocoa Fruit Shots
Climate change, harvest failures, record prices. As the chocolate industry falters, a Cologne-based start-up emerges with an unexpected solution: Koa is launching the world’s first shots made from the previously ignored cocoa fruit pulp …
Climate change, harvest failures, record prices. As the chocolate industry falters, a Cologne-based start-up emerges with an unexpected solution: Koa is launching the world’s first shots made from the previously ignored cocoa fruit pulp – offering the industry a way out of the current crisis.
The cocoa industry has recently been dominating the headlines. Climate-change-related crop failures in West Africa, the world’s largest cocoa-growing region, have led to record prices for cocoa beans. The result is a significant price increase on the chocolate shelf. Besides climate change, the crisis is also attributable to outdated practices within the cocoa industry. For centuries, the industry has only been interested in the cocoa bean, leaving about three-quarters of the cocoa fruit unused. The white pulp surrounding the cocoa beans has simply been ignored, leading to the loss of approximately five million tons annually.
Born from crisis: utilising the whole fruit
The Cologne start-up Koa Germany GmbH now demonstrates that there is an opportunity in this crisis. Koa has re-envisioned this centuries-old process and, in close collaboration with Ghanaian smallholder cocoa farmers, has created a globally unique processing method that also utilises the fruit pulp. The pulp has a tropical, fresh taste and does not taste anything like chocolate. It is a natural source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Koa is now launching the world’s first Cocoa Fruit Shots based on this ingredient. The shots not only have a unique taste but are also made with 100 % natural ingredients and offer a positive impact on people and the environment. The cocoa fruit forms the basis of three shots: KOA Pure: Cocoafruit, KOA Boost: Ginger,. and KOA Energize: Coldbrew. All three are vegan, contain no added sugar, and one shot supplies the daily requirement of Vitamin C.
Impact beyond taste
Farmers who partner with Koa receive a second income through the utilisation of the cocoa fruit pulp. As a result, these farmers now earn nearly twice as much of an additional premium as with Fairtrade and over six times more than with Rainforest Alliance1. Furthermore, the company has established a 100 % transparent supply chain. All payments to the cocoa farmers are verified using blockchain technology and are accessible to all consumers. While Koa’s approach is not the sole solution to the cocoa crisis, the additional income for the smallholder farmers in Ghana is making a real difference: According to an external study, “96 % of farmers working with Koa say their lives have improved [due to the additional income], and 1 in 3 even call it life-changing”2.
An innovation that hits a nerve
The Cocoa Fruit Shots was presented to the public for the first time at Anuga, the world’s largest food trade fair, which took place from October 4 – 8 in Cologne, Germany. The shots are making waves even prior to the event. An international expert jury selected the Cocoa Fruit Shots as a Top Innovation and a part of the “Anuga Taste Innovation Show”.
The Cocoa Fruit Shots are available for purchase online and in retail stores in Germany immediately.
1Background Information regarding the Impact: is available here:https://bit.ly/koabackground (07/25)
2Source: 60_decibels Impact Performance Report 02/2025 (see in Background Information)
2Source: Seedtrace Blockchain Platform (https://products.seedtrace.org/koa?locale=de)