Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana

Founded by the British Colonial

government in 1938 to combat diseases affecting cacao bean production, this institute is now part research facility, part museum. After

Ghana

gained independence in 1957, the institute was renamed the Cocoa Research institute of Ghana (CRIG). With departments ranging from entomology to product development, CRIG works to make growing cacao as sustainable and profitable as possible for Ghanaian farmers.

Contact the public affairs office ahead of time to arrange a tour of the compound. The tour guides are highly knowledgeable and flexible, so if you are interested in seeing something specific in the compound make sure to let them know. One curious component is a small museum dedicated to showing diseases that affect cacao trees. You can also learn about the fermentation and drying processes, as well as visit a cacao plantation. If you’re lucky, your guide may let you try fresh, sweet cacao fruit right off the tree.