Agriculture Economic Development Strategy in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Côte d’Ivoire has built its economic development on agriculture. This sector still remains the engine of its economic growth. The production system which consists essentially of extensive culture and based on natural fertility is compromised because the forest has decreased from 10.8 million hectares in 1960 to less than 1.5 million ha in 2016. This study aimed to determine an optimal allowance of the forest lands to the agricultural activities and to compare it to those cultivated, in order to appreciate the efficient use of this resource. It emerges from our study that only 2 276 000 hectares of land should be allocated to the agricultural sector instead of 9.5 million hectares and 12.5 million hectares of fallow land. When taking into account the prices of agricultural products from 1960 to 1981, it can be considered that the Ivorian agriculture was no efficient because the real surfaces cultivated were lower than those expected to be realized. By cons, after 1981, with the exception of 1992 and 1993, the agricultural sector was not efficient, as more forest lands were used for agriculture than was necessary. The respect of optimal allowance of forest lands for agricultural activities could have to garner an additional average annual farm income of between 3 686 and 5 748 billion CFA francs, as contribution of agriculture in Gross Domestic Product; illustrating the economic importance of the strategy of optimal allocation of forest lands in addition to the positive externalities that could induce. In order to reverse the trend of degradation, the agricultural development of Côte d’Ivoire should focus on: the optimal planning of land for a blooming of its different uses (agriculture, forestry, urbanization) in favor of a sustainable economic development; the development of analysis capacities, anticipation, adaptation and innovation of family farmers and all rural stakeholders; the encouragement and the raising awareness of the producers to the fixation of the cultivated areas, the intensification or modernization of the farms, the proper management of the Farmers Organizations and the proper structuring of the agricultural sectors; the control of the various balances for a sustainable development; the support of this strategy with an adequate apparatus for Farm Credit Management Council, and an adequate institutional framework.