Côte d’Ivoire secures US$50 million from the Green Climate Fund for climate-smart agriculture

On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, during its 45th Board Meeting held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved a US$50 million grant for Côte d’Ivoire to implement the project entitled “Strengthening Sustainable Land Management and Climate-Resilient Agrifood Systems in Côte d’Ivoire” (LARACI).

The project will be led by the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition (MINETE), with the Interprofessional Fund for Agricultural Research and Advisory Services (FIRCA) serving as the executing entity and the CGIAR System Organization as the accredited entity. With a budget of US$50 million, the project will be implemented over a five-year period.

This approval recognizes Côte d’Ivoire’s leadership, through MINETE and FIRCA—both nationally accredited to the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund—in advancing resilient, low-carbon, and inclusive agriculture. It reflects the strong collaboration between the Ivorian government, the Ministry of Environment, and FIRCA, united by a common ambition to protect farmers, strengthen food security, and accelerate the transition toward climate-smart agrifood systems.

The project aims to drive a transformative shift toward climate-smart agriculture by improving the resilience of farmers and agricultural organizations, increasing their incomes, strengthening food and nutrition security, and reducing the agricultural sector’s carbon footprint. It will primarily target the regions of N’Zi, Moronou, Iffou, La Mé, and Gbêkê, with an expected impact on 147,000 direct beneficiaries and 441,000 indirect beneficiaries. Over the project’s lifetime, it is also expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 3.8 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.

Key project activities include strengthening the national agrometeorological network, developing practical agro-climatic advisory services, expanding access to climate information tools tailored to farmers, improving agricultural extension services, facilitating access to climate-smart financing, restoring degraded land, promoting agroforestry, enhancing sustainable soil fertility management, and encouraging the adoption of resilient technologies across the rice, cassava, and yam value chains.

Through the LARACI project, Côte d’Ivoire demonstrates its ability to bring together national and international expertise around transformative development initiatives. The approval represents strong international recognition of the country's commitment to building a more productive, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agricultural sector for future generations.

It is worth recalling that Côte d’Ivoire was selected to host the Green Climate Fund’s Regional Office for Africa during the Fund’s 44th Board Meeting, held in Incheon, Republic of Korea, from March 25 to 28, 2026.