The Ghana Climate Innovation Centre’s Cohort 6 is made up of an excitingly diverse group of entrepreneurs, one of which is Midunu, a lifestyle company that celebrates Africa’s cultural and culinary heritage.
The name, Midunu, is an Ewe word which means ‘Let us eat’, inviting all those present to partake in the food being served. Midunu’s goal is to create experiences where culture, traditions, community, and cuisine, intersect and unite, using both old techniques handed down by generations, and new ones that enhance the experience, using local, seasonal, and underutilized traditional grains and proteins to deliver healthy meals that should be accessible to all.
The founder, Selassie Atadika, holds a Master’s degree from Columbia in International Affairs, which took her on trips through several African countries, whilst working for the United Nations. These trips exposed her to the rich stories of the origin of cuisines she encountered as well as the injustices that plagued food systems throughout the continent. Selassie was moved to introduce her “New African Cuisine” to her home in Ghana which brings together local, seasonal, and under-utilized ingredients to the forefront in the dishes she started creating.
Midunu was launched with Nomadic pop – up dining experiences in different locations in and around Accra, offering a multi-course menu. Off and on-site private dining, either at the bespoke Midunu House or at the client’s venue of choice, were also another to offer unforgettable culinary experiences.
Not losing sight of her desire to impact in the fight against food insecurity, Selassie actively involves herself in research and collaborations across the continent, to bring together people from the food and agriculture space to share inspiration, create connections and work together, by tapping into the continent’s rich and abundant food traditions, ingredients, and systems, to educate and make the changes in the Ghanaian food system.
Rooted in a country with a cocoa heritage dating back to 1879, Midunu also expanded into the development of artisanal handcrafted chocolates, using Ghanaian cocoa, and featuring the flavors and essences of Africa found in fruits, spices, coffee, teas, and herbal infusions. Selassie saw a gap in the market for quality, handmade chocolates, made from one of the most popular tree crops grown in Ghana for both export and local consumptions. It is key to note that the export of Ghanaian chocolates has dropped since 2018 and in 2020, imports of chocolates exceeded exports, and the production of cocoa beans has only grown minimally.
Source: www.statista.com
According to research carried out by selinawamucii.com Ghana exported 6,817 tons of chocolate in 2019 but in the same year, the interest in processed chocolate from Ghana shrunk by around 45% compared to year 2018. Overall, between 2017 and 2019, chocolate’s exports decreased by -41.24%.
With limited processing of cocoa done in-country, jobs are lost to this multi-billion-dollar industry. www.africafeeds.com reported in 2019 that Ghana’s Cocobod, the agency that coordinates the Cocoa production sector, revealed that processing of the commodity from its raw form into other products had increased from 23 to 34 percent. Ghana was projecting to have about 50 percent of its cocoa processed into refined products such as Chocolate and Cocoa beverages and in 2021 it was reported that production had increased to 40%. With limited processing of cocoa done in-country, jobs are lost to this multi-billion-dollar industry and smaller artisanal companies like Midunu are helping to bridge the gap.