Cultivating Change: Empowering Female Farmers Through Crop Diversification and Value Addition in Cote d’Ivoire

Project Details 

In Côte d'Ivoire, women struggle to access their own farmland. Farming remains a male-dominated industry, meaning they heavily depend on their husbands’ income, limiting decision-making power within households. This livelihood instability creates challenges around managing household responsibilities, providing food and paying for children’s’ educational needs.

Despite these difficulties, the cultivation of cassava presents the opportunity for women to have a reliable food source as well as generate their own income. Cassava production occurs year-round and is resilient against climate-induced risks, making it a staple food crop among households with significant sustained demand.

The project will work in partnership with RICE, a network focused on improving livelihood conditions of producers. We will work to support the production of cassava for 180 women across six women’s cooperatives, as well as strengthen their skills to operate as independent farmers. The project will also establish market opportunities to increase income.

This project aims to:

• Increase women’s incomes by supporting the production and processing of cassava
• Expand and diversify the supply of cassava-based food products
• Strengthen the organisational and management skills of women’s groups
• Develop effective marketing systems for cassava-based food products