Green Innovation Centres for the Agricultural and Food Sector (GIAE): Sustainable and deforestation-free cocoa industry

 

The Côte d'Ivoire country package is part of the global programme "Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector" of the BMZ Special Initiative "ONE World without Hunger" (SEWoH) and is implemented in selected regions in the southwest and southeast of the Ivorian cocoa belt.

The project objective for action field 3, for which the contractor is responsible, is the local processing and marketing of cocoa (by-)products. In addition, since 12/2021, two further value chains, cassava and plantain, are to be supported.

To be more precise, the module objective is: Innovations in agriculture and the food industry have sustainably improved the incomes of small farms, employment and regional food supply in selected rural regions.

The indicators aim to increase employment and the annual turnover of the supported upstream and downstream enterprises (module objective indicators).

In addition, the contractor is overall responsible for the fulfilment of output B: actors of the supported upstream and downstream enterprises have access to innovations for productivity and employment increases. Furthermore, the contractor contributes to the achievement of output C: The actors of the supported value chains are in a better position to represent their interests.

Output B:

  • Market analyses for new cocoa, cassava and plantain products Training primarily of SMEs and Cooperatives in post-harvest practices such as fermentation, drying, storage, packaging, etc.
  • ToT in the field of post-harvest handling and quality management
  • Training of SMEs and cooperatives in HACCP certification.
  • Accompaniment of the market launch and development of products through information and advertising campaigns, consumer advice, public relations work
  • Support for the establishment of a start-up center for SMEs in cocoa, cassava and plantain processing, machine production and marketing of new products for the African market
  • Support of a training center for diversified products in the three value chains.
  • Training of cooperatives using the cooperative business school (CBS) and the Processor business school  (PBS) approach. 
  • Advising businesses on access to modern processing facilities, technical and management training and coaching
  • Advice on the introduction of technologies for the energetic use of by-products of the three VC (briquettes, bio-ethanol)
  • Support networking by promoting the participation of processing companies in trade fairs, exhibitions and professional exchange formats.

Output C:

  • Organizing meetings between representatives of the downstream sector and the processors of cocoa and diversified products at local, regional and national level to improve network development and information exchange on innovations and other common interests.
  • Support in the creation of an interest group of SMEs active in cocoa processing.