Accelerating the Green Revolution in Cote d'Ivoire: Fertilizers Against Undernourishment and Deforestation

Abstract

Agriculture is the main sector of the economy in Cote d'Ivoire, employing 48.3% of the country's total workforce. It represents more than 70% of exports and accounts for 23.4% of the country's GDP. Cote d'Ivoire is the world's main exporter of cocoa, with a 33% share of global production. Yams, cassava and rice are the population's staple foods, with a total annual production volume of more than 10 million tons. Despite commercial and food crops being crucial for the country's economy and for people's subsistence, their productivity has declined considerably in the 15 years since 2003. Farmers struggle to support themselves and the country needs to import rice to meet the population's food needs. One of the reasons must be sought in the extensive agricultural system of Cote d'Ivoire, which exploits soil fertility by harnessing large virgin forest areas, instead of nourishing the soil with fertilizers. The area covered by forests progressively diminished over 25 years, from 24.36% in 1990 to 10.56% in 2015, with agriculture being the main cause. After many years of soil exploitation, the ground is becoming depleted and productivity is rapidly decreasing.