Boosting local value added in agricultural commodities in Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire agriculture sector, which accounts for roughly one-fifth of GDP and employs two-thirds of the population, is a core sector of the economy with global significance. 

The country is a key exporter of cocoa, cashew nuts, palm oil, bananas, coffee, rubber, kola nuts and cotton. Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s leading cocoa producer and shares the title of number-one cocoa grinder with the Netherlands. It is also the top cashew nut exporter and was the leading producer of sweet bananas in 2017. 

However, relatively little of what the country exports is transformed locally. In the case of cocoa beans, Côte d’Ivoire accounts for 40% of global production but processes less than one-third of its own output locally. 

In order to add more value to agricultural products – and with a view to creating more jobs for farmers and the local population – the country is implementing strategies to boost local agricultural processing. 

Under the broader Vision 2030 strategy, which targets structural transformation of the Ivorian economy, the government launched the Competitive Value Chains for Employment and Economic Transformation Project, known by its French acronym PCCET, in April 2022. The project seeks to develop national value chains, expand the domestic food-processing industry and attract further investment.