Côte d'Ivoire

Against a backdrop of increasingly severe and financially straining climate events and natural disasters, technology is poised to play an important role in maintaining and improving global agricultural output. The adoption of digital and precision farming practices has been shown to improve crop resiliency, and boost productivity and incomes,...

A $200m loan from the World Bank is set to improve the efficiency and profitability of Côte d’Ivoire’s cashew industry, while the government is stepping up efforts to tackle the illegal smuggling of crops.

Historically, agriculture has been the central driver of development since the nation gained independence in 1960. The country has an abundance of natural resources, and its fertile lands and favourable climate have allowed it to position itself as a key producer and exporter of some of the world’s premier soft commodities, ensuring a crucial...

Beyond raw materials export, local processing is the key goal of the national authorities, with a target of having 50% of produce processed in-country by 2020. However, there are a number of challenges hindering the achievement of this goal.

The civil conflict in the early 2000s led to a slowdown in investment and resulted in much of the country’s infrastructure to fall into disrepair. However, government programmes have since began to reverse the situation. One of the main strategies to make the industrial sector more resilient, and increase its participation in the country’s GDP...

With several of the world’s mining operators increasing their commitment to West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire remains one of the least explored countries in the region. Although the sector’s contribution to the national economy remains limited – at around 2% of GDP – proven reserves in gold, bauxite, iron ore, nickel and diamonds have positioned the...