Côte d’Ivoire is an agricultural country with 24 million inhabitants. It’s the world’s leading cocoa producing country. Its food crops are essential for the nutrition of the population.

Unfortunately, cocoa growing in Côte d’Ivoire is characterized by an aging of cocoa trees and the farmers themselves. The production suffers from low yields due in part to a weak or deficient use of plant protection products and fertilizers, non-compliance with good agricultural practices and the paradox of labour scarcity in rural areas while unemployment exists.

This is why the SSAB/CFLP project has developed the technical services approach to improving the yields of crops and farmers’ incomes while providing jobs for young people.

Boris Büchler, attended an open space conducted by the project at the SNRD Africa conference in Pretoria in May, sees great opportunities for the local youth to get engaged in rural business services in Ivory Coast.