The Interprofessional Organization of the Cassava Value Chain (OIA Cassava), officially launched on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, during a roundtable held in Abidjan–Marcory, will work over the next three years to strengthen the industrial and regional positioning of the sector with the aim of achieving food security and sovereignty in cassava, announced the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Yedoh Kévin Nomel.
The roundtable, which brought together public authorities, technical and financial partners, financial institutions, the private sector, and value chain stakeholders (producers, processors, and traders), was chaired by Clément Tiegnon, Deputy Director in charge of Consular Chambers and Professionalization at the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food Crop Production.
“Over the next three years, OIA Cassava will work to consolidate its governance and establish a precise mapping of the value chain, put in place data collection and traceability mechanisms, structure financing mechanisms adapted to the different segments, and deploy harmonized quality standards along with secure supply contracts,” the Chairman stated.
According to him, the launch of OIA Cassava marks a paradigm shift: “It represents the transition from a fragmented value chain to an organized and ambitious one. OIA Cassava is a coordination framework for all links in the value chain, a single point of contact for public authorities and financial partners, an institutional guarantee, and a strategic platform for dialogue and advocacy.”
In terms of employment, Yedoh Kévin Nomel announced the creation of 48,200 jobs and the availability of 2 billion certified cassava cuttings.
He further noted that cassava accounts for 12.4% of Côte d’Ivoire’s agricultural GDP and contributes 2.8% to the national GDP. The sector includes 54 derived products, such as attiéké, placali, tapioca, starch, flour, and others. The cassava sector spans 31 regions, brings together 950 organizations, involves 1.5 million actors, and records an annual production of 8.4 million tons.
Also present at the roundtable, the National President of Cassava Processors, Sieni Zodi, and the President of the National Association of Cassava Traders of Côte d’Ivoire, Affoué Brou, welcomed the creation of OIA Cassava.
According to them, this interprofessional organization will contribute to training stakeholders, improving their financial profitability by reducing post-harvest losses, and mitigating the impact of price volatility.
The roundtable was organized by OIA Cassava with the support of LadyAgri Impact Investment Hub, under the SAFAF program “Food Security from Farm to Fork,” co-financed by the European Union, in partnership with the Office for the Commercialization of Food Crops (OCPV) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.