Ahmadou Cisse, Solidaridad Country Representative in Cote d’Ivoire
A total of 5,000 smallholder farmers will benefit from the project which aims to make sustainable palm oil production the norm in Côte d’Ivoire. Cote d’Ivoire is the third largest producer of palm oil in Africa.
From 2014 to 2016, Solidaridad implemented the Sustainable West Africa Oil Palm programme (SWAPP) in Cote d’Ivoire. SWAPP focused on promoting yield intensification and supporting government efforts to increase production volumes from 400,000 tonnes to 600,000 tonnes by 2020.
Sector engagement for RSPO programme
A kick-off workshop was held in Abidjan in December 2016 to highlight the expectations and introduce the programme to relevant stakeholders.
Addressing the gathering, Solidaridad West Africa’s Country Representative in Cote d’Ivoire, Ahmadou Cisse, said the RSPO programme will make a huge impact on the palm oil sector in the country. “The RSPO Group certification is an opportunity to create an impact in the palm oil sector. We expect the project will influence the entire sector to increase productivity and supply certified products to the international market,” he said.
Strategic training for farmers
The programme consists of four components:
- capacity building of co-operatives
- training in best management practices for oil palm cultivation
- group certification for co-operatives
- development of certified Fresh Fruit Bunches market
Through the project, farmers will be given the opportunity to attend various strategic training sessions and be part of a farm management transformation process guaranteeing positive social and economic impact in their lives. Yield intensification will be linked to the new global market opportunities recently opened to certified palm oil products.