Transforming post-harvest losses into business opportunities: the journey of Tropical Snacks

By transforming perishable produce like plantains, cocoyam, and sweet potatoes into value-added products, Tropical Snacks not only reduces food waste but also provides farmers with a stable and reliable income.

Overcoming barriers to growth

Like many small business owners, Augustina faced significant challenges in scaling her operations. “Our production was slow because we sliced all our chips manually,” she recalls.

While her business generated enough profit to support herself, her mother, and her cousin, she knew that expanding was necessary to improve her earnings and create a more sustainable future. However, limited access to working capital prevented her from investing in research and development for new products. Without innovation and efficiency, Tropical Snacks risked falling behind in an increasingly competitive market.

Determined to overcome these barriers, Augustina enrolled in the Mastercard Foundation’s BRIDGE-in Agriculture training program. Graduating from the Sustainable Agribusiness course organized by Africa Skills Hub in December 2023 marked a pivotal moment in her journey.

Guided by insights from the training program, Augustina made strategic changes to improve her business operations. After winning first place in the BRIDGE-in Agriculture pitch competition in May 2024, she invested in a three-in-one slicing machine.

“This machine is a breakthrough for us,” she beams. “It has significantly reduced our production time and allowed us to process more plantains, cocoyam, and sweet potatoes than ever before.”

Creating jobs and empowering communities

The impact of this investment extends beyond her business. The expansion enabled Augustina to hire five new employees—four women and one man—bringing her total team to ten, with 90% of her workforce made up of youth.

Before joining Tropical Snacks, I was unemployed, relying solely on my husband’s part-time income to support our five children. Today, I contribute financially and ensure our four older children are in school. When I was pregnant with my fifth child, Augustina promised my job would be waiting for me and she kept her word and provided an allowance after I gave birth. Working at Tropical Snacks has transformed my life and my family’s future.

—Adjo Agbenyo, Production Staff at Tropical Snacks, aged 32

In addition to growing her business, Augustina is dedicated to empowering the smallholder farmers she sources from by providing training on sustainable cultivation practices. This will ensure a steady supply of high-quality raw produce and provide farmers with a consistent income while promoting responsible farming practices that benefit the wider community.

Augustina’s journey is just beginning. With a vision to expand Tropical Snacks into international markets and launch new product lines, she is committed to creating more job opportunities for Ghanaian youth and women. Her growing enterprise is inspiring the next generation to see agribusiness as a valuable career path.