Source: Mediaterre, March 2021

Agriculture in Côte d’Ivoire concerns both perennial export crops (oil palm, rubber, coffee, cocoa, etc.), many food crops (rice, bananas, cassava, yams, etc.) and market gardening (Tomato , onion, lettuce, pepper …). The country has built its economy around its many agricultural productions, including the famous coffee-cocoa duo.

This agriculture therefore inevitably participates in the country’s leadership position in French-speaking black Africa. To achieve such a feat, many farmers (several million) unfortunately resort to chemical fertilizers, with harmful consequences for the environment.

Faced with this indisputable reality, the firm EXPADD (Experts from Africa for Sustainable Development) advocates the popularization of biochar. Biochar is a soil amendment obtained from the pyrolysis of biomass. It is used in agriculture to increase soil productivity, with biochar acting to rewet soils, improve water retention and boost the immune system of plants. As the country is agricultural, it has significant agricultural residues (millions of tonnes) which can be transformed into biochar and thus contribute to the biological fertilization of the soil.

EXPADD intends to rely on cooperatives to promote this innovative fertilization technique to Ivorian planters. The Cabinet of Experts does not rule out extending this project to other countries in the sub-region.

 

Dr Christophe GBOSSOU

cgbossou@expadd.org