Côte d’Ivoire seeks greater German investment in cocoa and cashew processing

Côte d’Ivoire is seeking to attract greater investment from German food and retail companies into its cocoa and cashew industries as the country pushes to expand local processing and capture more value from its agricultural commodities.

Agriculture Minister Bruno Nabagné Koné met on Tuesday with a German business delegation from Lambertz and Aldi, led by Côte d’Ivoire’s Ambassador to Germany, Azize Diabaté, to discuss investment opportunities in the country’s agricultural sector.

The delegation was exploring opportunities to strengthen the presence of major German food industry players in Côte d’Ivoire, with a particular focus on cocoa and cashew, two commodities in which the country is among the world’s leading producers.

The discussions also highlighted growing opportunities for processed cashew products on the German market. Ambassador Diabaté noted that Germany is a major consumer of cashews, while demand is expanding for products combining chocolate and cashew nuts.

Koné encouraged German companies to increase their investments in Côte d’Ivoire and participate in the country’s drive to develop local processing industries.

“Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s leading producer of cocoa and cashew nuts. Our ambition now is to go further: to process more of our products locally and become a global leader in chocolate and processed cashew products,” Koné said.

The government sees greater local processing as a way to create more value domestically, develop agro-industrial activities and strengthen Côte d’Ivoire’s position in global agricultural supply chains.

The meeting comes as Côte d’Ivoire seeks to deepen economic ties with Germany and attract foreign investment into sectors with strong potential for industrial development and value creation.