Launch of the joint action "Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains" in Abidjan

On April 5, 2023, the Joint Action "Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains" was successfully launched in Abidjan. This joint action comes from the European Union (EU), the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OEACP) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The launch was organized by the two GIZ implementation projects, the Agribusiness Facility for Africa(ABF) and Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS region (MOVE-ComCashew) jointly with their partners ; the Conseil du Coton et de l'Anacarde (CCA) a day before the opening of the fourth edition of the International Exhibition of Cashew Processing Equipment and Technologies (SIETTA), and the Consultative International Cashew Council (CICC) in parallel to the Ministerial Council meeting .

Together, ABF and ComCashew will implement Component 1 of a larger EU framework program that aims to develop and improve the capacity of African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) agricultural value chain actors in the cashew, cocoa, maize, livestock (sheep, goat, cattle), and potentially cassava, chicken/eggs, and honey sectors, and to attract finance and investment, particularly towards low-emission and climate-resilient practices and value chains.

This program, commissioned for 48 months (March 1, 2023 to February 28, 2027), aims to develop and improve the capacities of actors along ACP agricultural value chains and to attract financing and investment, particularly towards low-emission and climate-resilient practices and value chains. The focus is on "developing bankable projects for investment in the agricultural value chain through targeted capacity building."

In his opening remarks, Ivorian Minister Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani congratulated the implementation projects. "I welcome the implementation of this project led by GIZ through MOVE-ComCashew and Agribusiness Facillity. It will eventually cover 79 ACP countries including 9 African countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, and will have a positive and sustainable impact on sectors as important to us as the cocoa and cashew sectors," he said.

The launch of this program, which takes place on the eve of the opening of the 4th edition of the International Cashew Equipment and Processing Technology Exhibition (SIETTA), and on the occasion of the Ministerial meeting of the International Cashew Advisory Council (CICC), is according to Dr. Adama Coulibaly, Director General of the Cotton and Cashew Council a strong signal. The Commissioner General of SIETTA welcomed in particular the European Union (EU), the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) who decided to join their efforts to implement this project.

The projects of the German cooperation in the agricultural field promote for the Chargé des Affaires of the German Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire, Dr. Marton Köver

To this end, says the German diplomat, 450,000 farmers have already been trained in good agricultural practices, marketing and costing by Germany. In the cashew value chain in northern Côte d'Ivoire alone, more than 9,000 jobs have been created, mainly for women and young people, through the German cooperation project ComCashew, both of which are implemented by GIZ.

The action launched today targets, according to Ms. Francesca Di Mauro, Ambassador of the European Union in Côte d'Ivoire, the following value chains: cashew, maize, livestock and cocoa, in ACP countries.

"The total budget is 56 million Euros: this includes a contribution from the EU of 43.8 million Euros and from Germany of 12.2 million Euros. The project is implemented by GIZ, it starts in March 2023 for a period of 4 years. Of this amount, the cashew nut value chain has been prioritized and will receive a contribution of €24.2 million (20 EU + 4.2 BMZ)," said the diplomat.

The Under-Secretary General, Structural Economic Transformation and Trade-Secretariat of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), Mr. Escipión J. Oliveira Gòmez welcomed this strategic partnership that will effectively fight against hunger and climate change in the world. While offering many opportunities to agricultural entrepreneurs.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cameroon and Chairman of the CICC, Gabriel Mbairobe thanked all the stakeholders of the project who are working for the development of the value chains of agricultural commodities.

The presentation of the EU INTPA Project Concept was made jointly by the ABF and MOVE ComCashew Project Managers. These are Mr. Magnus Schmid and Ms. Rita Weidinger respectively.