18.07.2024 – The sixth edition of Journée PRO-PLANTEURS was recently held in Agboville, Côte d’Ivoire, with a focus on the sustainability of cocoa cooperatives.
This event, organized by PRO-PLANTEURS – a joint initiative involving GISCO, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Conseil du Café-Cacao (CCC) – gathered key stakeholders to discuss and share insights on the future of sustainable cocoa production.
Key Presentations and Discussions
The event featured presentations by project lead Sonia Lehmann and her team, who provided a retrospective of PRO-PLANTEURS’ activities and future projections. Thematic stands, working groups, and presentations allowed participants to delve into critical issues such as income improvement, sustainable cocoa production, diversification, cooperative development, agroforestry, climate change, and new regulations.
Representatives from Le Conseil du Café Cacao (CCC), Mamadou Gbongue and Me Kouakou, presented the latest analysis of cocoa cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in professionalizing these organizations. They emphasized the importance of efficiency and sustainability, noting that while 300-400 cooperatives are created annually, only 18-20% are operational.
A significant highlight was the participation of Alex Arnaud Assanvo, Executive Secretary of the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI), via the PRO-PLANTEURS digital platform. Assanvo discussed the role of cooperatives in achieving a living income for farmers and emphasized the need for strategic initiatives to improve farmers’ incomes.
Achievements and Future Goals
Since its inception in 2015, PRO-PLANTEURS has trained 140 cooperative managers and 13,000 producers in agricultural entrepreneurship, achieving a 62% increase in productivity to 523 kg/hectare through good agricultural practices and agroforestry. Looking forward to 2025-2030, the project aims to further improve cocoa farmers’ living conditions and ensure sustainable farming practices. A key goal is to align with international standards like ARS 1000 and the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for enhanced market access and sustainability.
