Commodity Hub Côte d'Ivoire

Within the project, farmers are trained on sustainable farming practices in collaboration with the national extension service provider ANADER. The aim is to promote environmentally friendly production methods and ensure stable incomes for farming households over the long term.A key focus lies on the development of deforestation-free supply chains. In cooperation with private sector actors such as Nestlé, Olam Agri, and SAPH, the project supports efforts to improve transparency and traceability across supply chains, including the implementation of measures to ensure that no deforestation is linked to raw material sourcing.In parallel, the project works with public agencies such as OIPR and SODEFOR to monitor forest areas, conduct community sensitisation campaigns, promote agroforestry systems, and strengthen resilience to climate change. These actions help protect forests and support the sustainable management of agricultural land.Beyond agricultural production, the project provides training in farm business management, entrepreneurial thinking, and household financial management. It also promotes local value addition—for example, through the processing of by-products such as rubber seeds into biodiesel, or cocoa husks into biogas and biofertiliser—creating new products and additional income opportunities at the local level.To foster economic diversification, smallholder farmers are supported in integrating alternative income-generating activities into their farms, such as poultry farming in cocoa plantations or mushroom cultivation on cocoa shells.A particular emphasis is placed on women’s empowerment. Through the establishment of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), women are supported in learning how to save, invest, and build sustainable income streams. They are also accompanied in identifying and launching new income-generating activities.Finally, the project contributes to international due diligence and compliance efforts—especially with regard to the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Supply Chains (EUDR) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This area plays a key role in private sector cooperation and is also part of the flagship initiative “FIT for FAIR” in Côte d’Ivoire, supported by the Commodity Hub.