Strengthen Cocoa Cooperatives and Village Forest Protection

EU procurement notice published on Tenders Electronic Daily (TED). Buyer: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Buyer country: DEU. Place of performance: CIV. TED publication number: 497798-2026.

Subject: PRO PLANTEURS III builds on two previous five year phases (2015-2020, 2020-2025) that professionalized cocoa cooperatives and improved production systems in Côte d'Ivoire. To date, 47 cooperatives have strengthened management and services, helping raise average yields and farm incomes by about 30% among some 15,000 farms. Jointly with companies from the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO) the project created seven village forest protection committees and 58 savings-groups and established 40 child-labor monitoring committees.

Since 2024, 80 women have been implementing child labor prevention measures. Launched in 2025, the third phase is part of the Program entitled "Protection, Restoration and Sustainable Management of Forests and Biodiversity as Natural Life Support Systems in Côte d'Ivoire." The project is integrated into the program's landscape approach, balancing economic and ecological objectives. By promoting sustainable production practices, it helps curb the continued destruction of forest landscapes caused by cocoa cultivation and contributes to the program's overall aim of conserving biodiversity and forest landscapes.

The project's objective is to adapt the cocoa supply chain in regions around the Bossématié reserve to economic, regulatory, environmental and social challenges. It emphasizes sustainable production aligned with the ARS 1000 standard and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and control of the cocoa swollen shoot virus. Interventions aim to curb deforestation and increase farm resilience through diversification and yield improvements.

Financing is provided by BMZ with co- financing from GISCO; parallel funding from the German Ministry of Agriculture (BMLEH) supports knowledge exchange. The national partner, the Conseil Café Cacao (CCC), contributes in kind and financially. The target group comprises 8,000 smallholder cocoa farms and their families and 12 cooperatives.

Many farms face ageing orchards, high swollen shoot prevalence, inefficient practices and low productivity (~350 kg/ha), resulting in incomes far below a living income-particularly for women due to limited access to land, inputs, labor and decision making. Less than 20% of cooperatives are effective and transparent; services are narrow, networks are weak and bargaining power with buyers is limited. The project is organized in four components: 1.

Good agricultural practices and agroforestry to raise yields/incomes and expand agroforestry areas in line with ARS 1000. 2. Demand oriented cooperative services to enable ARS 1000/EUDR compliance, prevent and control swollen shoot, and improve women's productivity.

• Sustainable supply chain models that strengthen cooperative-buyer relationships (fair remuneration, timely payments, longer terms) and use incentives for environmental services and agroforestry. 4. Evidence based dialogue and knowledge exchange among supply chain actors, including an independent PRO PLANTEURS digital platform to disseminate lessons and support integration into policies, training and strategies.

Geographic focus: Indénié Djuablin, La Mé and Sud Comoé regions.