Cocoa (products) Côte d'Ivoire

CBI currently runs a 1.5-year project in Côte d'Ivoire's cocoa sector. The Dutch Embassy in Abidjan and RVO are working on the Orange Cocoa Pro combi-track, while CBI supports local cocoa processing and helps implement the lessons learned and the project's successes.

We work with a small group of cooperatives in Côte d'Ivoire, which we coach and help with capacity building. Topics include:

• Due diligence;
• Access to finance;
• Machinery knowledge;
• Market requirements;
• Local processing governance.

We also encourage the partners in the combi-track to share their insights.

Project goals  

• Strengthen cocoa cooperatives in Côte d'Ivoire to contribute to a sustainable local business climate;
• Coach a selected group with customised training on a supported plan. The topics of the training programme are investment, process and trade. The programme also handles an improved governance structure and market linkages for more local processing;
• Link Dutch and European partners to Ivorian cocoa cooperatives for future processing;
• Have the cooperatives share their knowledge on what works and what does not. 

Project participants

A total of 6 cooperatives are participating in this coaching project.

Furthermore, there are other cooperatives that will be invited to all webinars and to certain bigger events.

Please contact CBI by email at ingredients@cbi.eu for more information.

Would you like to contact these potential suppliers? Visit us from 18 to 20 September 2025 in San Pedro, Côte d'Ivoire, where we will organise a learning event. For more information, contact CBI at ingredients@cbi.eu. 

Partners

• Agriterra
  Agriterra has been working with Ivorian cooperatives for decades and is part of the Orange Cocoa Pro combi-track. We work closely with them to share lessons learned;
• Embassy of the Netherlands in Côte d'Ivoire
  We work together with the Dutch Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire and the cocoa focal person in particular;
• CADESA
  CADESA is the Ivorian cooperative that is setting up a processing plant. The organisation also benefits from the knowledge and assistance of the RVO project. We encourage the sector to learn from each other. CADESA has proved to be very willing to share their insights, failures and lessons learned to accelerate the  improvement of local processing;
• Dutch and other European machinery makers, chocolatiers, fertiliser specialists etc.

Activities

• Weekly webinars where(/in which) Dutch suppliers of machinery, chocolate makers and financial institutions will all share their knowledge;
• Business export coaching visits from an EU expert and an Ivorian cocoa expert;
• 2 learning events or communities of practice in 2025 and 2026.