About us
Our mission
Our mission is to participate in the fight against poverty of the rural poor in Ghana.
We do this by promoting the products of small farmers for export and by encouraging our partner farmers to be self-sufficient so that they can develop their villages sustainably.
Production Team
The production can be located at Weija. The production team at the departments says hello
Producer groups
The producers’ groups can be found at different locations. The soil qualities and climatic conditions of different locations give a direct impact on the quality of fruits. The producers’ group are:
- Ekumfi district by Ekumfi Atwia
- Wad Organic farmers association (EAWOFA) located at Ekumfi Atwia in the Central region of Ghana. They produce pineapples for the company.
- Wad organic farms Somanya mangoes can be found at Somanya in the eastern region of Ghana and produce mangoes for the company
- Wad organic farmers at Kwanyako and Gomoa Gyaman they produce coconuts for the company
- Wad organic farm at Krodua in the Eastern region of Ghana, a permaculture farm that produces multi crops from pineapples, mango, coconut, papaya, passion fruits, hibiscus etc.
- Wad organic farm at Botoku in the Central region of Ghana, mix crop farm that produces pineapples, mangoes, papaya ang ginger
History of the company
1995
The founder of WAD, Patrick Deegbe a crop scientist and Christiane Deegbe a nurse got to know the village of Tubaman–Weija in 1995 through a vegetable project they carried out. They realised an important logistics problem. The project was carried out at the Weija Irrigation Company site.
2000
They sent agricultural materials and put in place a farmer’s cooperative in Tubman-Weija. A company was created called Weija Agriculture Development (WAD) to manage the materials and the cooperative with the aim of helping the cooperative to diversify their production and export part of the produce.
2001
They got to know the Village of Ekumfi Atwia and brought some sugarloaf pineapples from the village to Switzerland. In Switzerland, people normally complain they don’t get good exotic fruits like the tasted whilst on holidays. We took it as a duty to give the taste of exotic fruit as if you are in the country of origin.
The company therefore started exporting sugarloaf pineapples to Switzerland. Since sugarloaf pineapple was new at that time, a Brazilian friend gave it the name “Patrick’s pineapple” this is because as he said at the time in future others would like to do the same thing as we are doing but if the pineapple is not from Patrick and then it’s not the original. We laughed over it and adopted the name.
2003
The company moved from Tubaman – Weija to the Ghana Industrial Commercial Estate (GICEL) also in Weija. It added mangoes and papaya to its fresh export.
A small household dryer was sent to Ghana to experiment on drying as fruits were not dried at that time. A proto-type dryer was built in Ghana to start drying some of its fruit.
2004
The company and its farmers group at Ekumfi got certified organic by IMO Switzerland. The company collaborated with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation on a project: Alleviating poverty in West and Central Africa through the export of Organic and Fair-trade products. The company grew in its export volume of both fresh and dry organic fruits from there.
2005
The company change its name to Wad African Foods limited as its activities is not only related to Weija but has extended to the Ekumfi district in the central region of Ghana for pineapples, Somanya for mangoes, Kwanyako for coconut and papaya.
2012
The company build its processing facility within the GICEL yard and moved to its current location within the GICEL yard.
The company own its own farms at Somanya, Krodua and Botoku to supplement what our partner farmers produce.
Our mission
To participate in the fight against poverty in the rural poor in Ghana. This we do by promoting the products of small-scale farmers on the export market and encourage our partner farmers to be autonomous to allow them to develop their villages in a sustainable way.
Corporate social responsibilities
We support communities in education and health, this we do in collaboration with some of our clients and corporates who have community support at heart.
Below are some of the supports we have given to communities.
- Kasoa government hospital
- Takebe school Ekumfi Atwia
- Gomoa Gyman school
What the press says about us
Below some articles in the press about us.
- Emission RTS “Futur antérieur”
- Tropical Fruit rhymes with true ethics
- Sugar loaf : Organic, fair and sweet
- Patrick’s Pineapple
Where to find our products
- Part of our products can be purchased on our online e-shop.
- At the market:
- Annick Makintoch: fresh pineapple at the markets of Martigny and Fully
- Mme de la Vecchia: fresh pineapple at the markets of Lausanne, Yverdon and Morges
- Eric Matthey: fresh pineapple at the markets of Morges and Pully
- Carlos: fresh pineapple at the Lutry market
- Sens Afrique: oil and dried fruits at the Morges market
You can find our products in the following shops: