Ivory Coast

The agricultural sector is a pillar of the Ivorian economy, employing over half the country’s working population. As the world’s leading producer of cocoa pods and cashew nuts, Ivory Coast is a key player in these value chains. Thus, CIRAD is coordinating several research projects on the country’s main agricultural value chains (agronomy, product processing): cocoa, rubber, dessert banana, plantain, livestock production, market gardening, cotton, rice and coconut palms, but also on agroecology, ecology and reforestation.
Sale of vegetables on a bush market near Abidjan in Ivory Coast. © CIRAD, P. Dugué

Sale of vegetables on a bush market near Abidjan in Ivory Coast. © CIRAD, P. Dugué

The agricultural sector remains a pillar of the economy

Ivory Coast is a sub-regional economic powerhouse, accounting for a third of WAEMU GDP, and more than 40% of the zone’s exports. Its population is estimated at 25.6 million (ie, 21% of the total population of the West African Economic and Monetary Union - WAEMU), including 4.5 million foreigners. The agricultural sector remains one of the pillars of the Ivorian economy, accounting for over 25% of GDP. More than 50% of the active population works in the sector.

Main research areas: emphasis on value chains

  • Cocoa: monitoring of the cocoa economy and farms, certification issues, cacao tree genetics, diseases and pests;
  • Coffee: support for research on the genetics and architecture of different coffee tree species;
  • Plantain: development of agronomy research;
  • Dessert banana: scientific and technical support for the value chain;
  • Rubber: agronomy research and industrial processes;
  • Forestry: reforestation and agroforestry projects;
  • Coconut: running of the COGENT network, support for seednut production, sequencing;
  • Cotton: appraisal of the value chain, follow-up of the project to restructure the fibre classification system;
  • Rice: support for the value chain;
  • Oil palm: smallholders and large commercial plantations.

Key figures

  • 21 expatriate researchers
  • 100 missions per year

Cocoa4Future: putting people and the environment back at the heart of cocoa growing

Making cocoa growing in West Africa more sustainable and resilient... this is the task set for the Cocoa4Future project, coordinated by CIRAD and funded by the EU DeSIRA programme and the Agence Française de Développement. Over five years, more than 150 monocrop or agroforestry cocoa plantings will be assessed from an agro-environmental point of view, while 350 farms in Ivory Coast and Ghana will benefit from support for new farmer strategies, notably as regards agroforestry. The different project partners* have just signed a consortium agreement.

Agroecology to revitalize cocoa farming

Main partners 

  • National Centre for Agricultural Research (CNRA), Ivory Coast;
  • Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute, Yamoussoukro;
  • Félix Houphouët-Boigny University, Abidjan;
  • Nanguy-Abrogoua University, Adjamé;
  • Société africaine de plantations d'hévéas (SAPH);
  • Société de culture bananière (SCB);
  • Alassanne Ouattara University, Bouaké;
  • Péléforo Gbon Coulibaly University, Korhogo;
  • Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, Daloa;
  • Africa Rice Centre (CGIAR – AfricaRice);
  • Interprofessional Fund for Agricultural Research and Advice (FIRCA).

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