A group of North American teachers have visited the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) to familiarise themselves with the history and research activities of the Institute.
The visit was organised by the Witness Tree Institute of Ghana; a non-profit organisation created to engage educators in multidisciplinary learning exposure to Ghanaian culture, economy, history and education.
It provides an authentic experience for teachers from Ghana and North America to develop skills, perspectives and thinking habits that enrich their institutions and communities and provide opportunities for innovation and experimentation
The school teachers numbering thirty (30) from the United States of America, Canada, Jamaica and Ghana are connecting with the lens of social justice used to initiate cross-cultural discussions between Ghanaians and North American educators.
They toured some heritage sites across the country, including the Cape Coast and Elmina castles, Assin Manso, the WEB DuBois Centre, Kumasi traditional court music and dance, the University of Ghana, Legon and CRIG.
Receiving the tourists at the CRIG clubhouse, the Deputy Director and Head of the Social Science and Statistics Unit of CRIG, Michael Owusu-Manu, gave a detailed report of the Institute’s quality research and innovation which has contributed immensely to increased productivity and sustainability of the industry.
Owusu-Manu reiterated that the cocoa industry is the backbone of Ghana’s economy which employs approximately 800,000 farm families and supports the livelihood of around 4 million people and over 67% of household income.
He took the opportunity to extend an invitation to prospective investors, to consider strategic partnerships in the sector to safeguard a sustainable industry.
A Public Affairs Officer at CRIG, Geoffrey Opoku-Darko, who guided the group on the familiarisation tour, presented to them first-hand information about the research activities and products of CRIG, including beverages, cosmetics, specialty chocolate, and spreads, among others.
Opoku-Darko urged the visiting American educators to inculcate the habit of consuming cocoa into their students in view of its nutritional and health benefits to help improve cognitive acumen, provide energy and vitality to the students and called on the school teachers to consume more cocoa as it promotes cleansing and detoxification of the body and minimizes stress.
The delegation was taken on a tour of CRIG facilities, including the Fine Flavour research laboratory, Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) Museum, fermentry, dam site and some experimental farms.
The Director of Witness Tree Institute of Ghana, Tete Cobblah commended CRIG for its innovative research works to aid cocoa value addition and increased revenue from Ghana’s leading agricultural export.
He also praised Ghana Cocoa Board for its continued support for cocoa farmers in Ghana, and also for working assiduously to uphold Ghana’s position as the world’s best exporter of premium quality cocoa.
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