Ivory Coast has suffered serious forest loss and degradation. Forest cover decreased from 16 million hectares at the beginning of the 20th century to 3.4 million in 2015. Agriculture is the main driver of deforestation (62%) and cocoa, the backbone of the Ivorian economy, is the main driver responsible for this change. The country has been engaged in the international REDD + mechanism since 2011 with the aim of reversing this ongoing trend of deforestation. Since 2014, Côte d’Ivoire has committed to decoupling agricultural production from deforestation and restoring the Ivorian forest cover to 20% of the land area by 2030. In November 2017, the Council of Ministers of Ivory Coast approved the National REDD + Strategy. The strategy includes a series of policies and measures to combat deforestation and forest degradation, including the promotion of zero deforestation agriculture in the cocoa, palm oil and rubber sectors.
To implement the REDD+ strategy, eliminate deforestation in the commodity supply chain and restore the Ivorian forest cover, requires intensifying sustainable agriculture and integrating agroforestry to diversify revenue as plantations age, the productivity gap increases and opportunities for expanding production are reduced. Many private actors, especially in the cocoa sector, have also stated their sustainability objectives. Viable sustainable production models exist. However, their upscaling to the national level poses significant challenges that require adequate financial solutions. Through a study of economic viability, the UN-REDD team has identified the challenges associated with each group of actors:
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farmers: low and uncertain income due to the monoculture of a volatile commodity
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Cooperative - weak provision of services to farmers and lack of financial robustness
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buyers - risks of agricultural commodity supply linked to deforestation
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Microfinance institution - problem of access to long-term capital for developing adequate financial services
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National Commercial Banker - Absence of a collateral from the smallholders
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Investor/Capital Market - difficulty in reaching smallholders
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Government - lack of resources for decoupling agricultural commodities production from deforestation
To overcome these challenges, the 1 for 20 Partnership promotes the development of sustainable and viable agricultural production models, facilitates dialogue between stakeholders, and helps build the capacity of partners.
To connect supply and demand for financing, the 1 for 20 Partnership aims at:
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Promoting sustainable financing approaches, anchored in viable production models and incentives for small producers, aligned with the country's climate change objectives and rooted in the dynamic development of the territories
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Facilitating partnerships between private actors, the financial sector and public partners to set up financing projects at scale.
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Promoting stakeholder dialogue for the exchange of experiences on sustainable agricultural models and practices, coordination of efforts and capacity building of private and state partners.
Managed from Abidjan, the 1 for 20 Partnership is a collaboration between the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Coffee-Cocoa Council. It benefits from the technical and financial support of UN Environment (Finance Initiative and UN-REDD) and the EU REDD Facility.
Please find the link to the brochure here.
