Challenges and Perspectives of Local Cocoa Transformation in Côte D’Ivoire: A Case Study on the Cocoa Industry in Different Production Areas

Abstract

Since independence in 1960 to the present day, Côte d’Ivoire’s economic model has been primarily based on agriculture, particularly the cocoa sector. Indeed, Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s leading cocoa producer, with an estimated production of over 2.25 million tons in 2021. However, nearly half of the raw cocoa beans are exported, while the rest are processed into semi-finished products. This naturally results in a significant loss of value for the sector, as it loses out on added value in the upstream production chain. The development of the local cocoa industry would be a major step towards the government’s goal of becoming an emerging country by 2030. In this regard, the Ivorian government is considering the establishment of three new industrial units with the aim of locally processing the entire cocoa production of the country by 2030. This article aims to explore the challenges and prospects of local cocoa processing in Côte d’Ivoire. To this end, our study focused on six small local cocoa processing units located in the cities of Daloa, Issia, Bouaflé, Oumé, and Abidjan. We employed a qualitative method for the exploratory nature of our research, which involved the use of an interview guide and conducting semi-structured interviews with the leaders of the studied facilities. The results obtained highlight the significant role that small local cocoa processing units can play, as well as the numerous challenges they face, such as obtaining financing, acquiring more efficient equipment, production capacity, and the lack of Ivorian culture in chocolate consumption.