Goldstar Air has proposed serving complimentary Golden Tree chocolate bars and cocoa-based drinks on its flights as part of efforts to promote locally processed cocoa products and strengthen Ghana’s cocoa value chain.
The airline said the initiative would provide an additional market for products manufactured by the state-owned Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), while showcasing Ghanaian brands to international passengers.
According to the airline, inflight distribution of locally produced chocolate could raise global awareness of Ghana’s processed cocoa products, encourage exports and support value addition rather than continued reliance on raw cocoa bean exports.
It said every passenger would become a potential consumer and ambassador for Ghanaian cocoa products, helping to build international demand for brands such as Golden Tree.
The proposal comes as CPC continues to face operational and financial challenges, including declining production and rising costs.
Goldstar Air believes incorporating locally manufactured cocoa products into its inflight service would create a consistent demand stream for processors, strengthen linkages between aviation and agriculture, and support jobs across manufacturing, logistics, packaging and distribution.
The airline also called for increased investment in domestic cocoa processing to enable Ghana to capture more value from its cocoa industry instead of exporting raw beans.
It further advocated the establishment of large cocoa storage facilities to help stabilise prices and improve farmers’ bargaining power during periods of weak global demand.
Goldstar Air argued that expanding local processing into products such as chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter and cocoa liquor would increase export earnings and improve incomes for cocoa farmers.
The airline said the initiative aligns with broader national efforts to promote value addition, industrialisation and export-led growth by creating stronger domestic demand for Ghanaian-made cocoa products.
Goldstar Air, which is awaiting completion of its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) process before commencing commercial operations, said it intends to integrate Ghanaian-made food and beverage products into its onboard services as part of its local content strategy.
