26/03/2026
Day 3 on the ground in Côte d’Ivoire. 🇨🇮
We have been travelling across the western regions, from Daloa to the town of Man, sitting right on the border of Liberia, hundreds of kilometres from Abidjan. These are not easy places to reach. But that is exactly where the farmers are.
Cocoa prices have collapsed and farming families across this country are feeling it. But every cooperative we sat with is already thinking beyond cocoa. Ginger, turmeric, chilli, bell pepper, sweet potatoes. Nutritious crops with strong margins and growing demand. Crops that give a farming family options and real income, not dependence on a single commodity. The direction is clear. What farmers need now is finance and reliable markets to back it up.
Back in Abidjan, the FEPMACi leadership made the journey from the northern regions to meet with the Farmerline team. What you see in these pictures is not a courtesy call. It is a working session. Plans, numbers, the season ahead, all on the table.
IFC and our banking partners are in this with us too. Structured finance, serious cooperatives and aligned partners is how this becomes real for farming families at scale.
This is a team sport and we are grateful for every person at the table.
What crops or models are gaining traction in your markets right now? We want to hear from you.
FarmersFirst AgriFinance CropDiversification WestAfrica FoodSecurity
