Start of the subsequent phase of PRO-PLANTEURS

At the beginning of June, the project PRO-PLANTEURS entered its second phase. Due to the success of the project, all partners had agreed on a continuation early on.

The objective of PRO-PLANTEURS is to improve the living conditions of 20,000 cocoa farmers and their families in the southeast of Côte d'Ivoire. To this end, the cooperatives have been professionalized, the farmers have been trained and, among other things, small-scale projects have been initiated that provide women and young people in particular with their own and better income opportunities. The progress of the project was positively assessed by the project partners, the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, the German Federal Government and the Ivorian Government. There was also clear approval and good feedback from the farmers. In September last year, it was decided to continue the project.

The second phase has been running since June. Due to the Corona pandemic, project activities with direct contact such as training courses cannot take place at the moment, but preparations and other activities are continuing (see also the interview with the project manager Judith Steffens). A further 10,000 cocoa farmers and their cooperatives will be involved in the subsequent phase. This brings the number of farmers reached by PRO-PLANTEURS to 30,000.

PRO-PLANTEURS is thus also the only project in the cocoa sector that is financially supported by the Conseil du Café-Cacao (CCC).

For results of the first project phase see our factsheet and video.

Quotes from the project

"Die ausgezeichnete Zusammenarbeit zwischen den verschiedenen Gebern, vor allem die bilaterale Zusammenarbeit zwischen Deutschland und Côte d’Ivoire, haben die guten Fortschritte dieses Projektes ermöglicht. PRO-PLANTEURS ist Teil der Vision der ivorischen Regierung für einen nachhaltigen Kakaosektor.“ 

– Mé KOUAKOU, Conseil du Café-Cacao (CCC), during the Day PRO-PLANTEURS 9/2018 –

“The project has provided several opportunities for my cooperative and myself. The trainings are of great importance for us. “

– Alida N’Takpé Coulibaly, chairwoman RASSO SCOOPS –

 

 

 

“The entire management and especially the accounting of our organization had major problems. We did not even have an accountant. After the training as part of the PRO-PLANTEURS project, the board of directors saw the importance of hiring an accountant and of providing him with an office as well as all available data on the organization.”

– Mamadou Zie BAMBA (Director of the Cooperative KGS COOP-CA, Aboisso) –

 

 

 

"Thanks to PRO-PLANTEURS, our women's group was able to install a grinder and refiner machine, to transform manioc into attiéké. Because of the activity we can work and support our family and the village. Our vision is to build a kindergarten in our village Aboudé.”

– Martine N’GATTA ASSAORE (President of the women’s group N’Gbossou, Aboudé Mandéké) –

“I didn't know how to run a business. Thanks to PRO-PLANTEURS I understood that I am the manager of my plantation. Now I manage my expenses and revenues. I was even able to save, and therefore to invest. In order to increase my income, I also grow other crops.”

– Drissa TRAORE (Farmer, Cooperative SCAMA, Ayamé) –

 

 

 

“After my training my life has changed. Today, my family’s food is varied. My children no longer get sick as they used to. We are perfectly healthy and I myself feel also a lot better.”

– Bony Rolande AHONDJON, General Secretary BOUKABLA COOP CA, Rural Advisor –

 

 

 

“We learned what leadership, personal development and other instruments mean in order to be a professionally positioned cooperative. Before that we only had one woman on the board. Now we have three women on the board and one woman on the supervisory board."

– Heinand Cyriaque Didier AMOI, Director SCOOPACA COOP CA –

“I have participated in the training of managers. We learned warehouse management, human resources management, organization, monitoring and evaluation and marketing. Today I am the managing director of the EPAA, the agricultural service company of Agboville."

– Fulgence ADY DOFFOU, Manager of EPAA (Entreprise des prestations agricoles d’Agboville) –

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