Power through trees. State territorialization by means of privatization and ‘agrobizforestry’ in Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

International pressure related to deforestation in the context of climate change and national issues concerning the sustainability of cocoa production have become increasingly prominent on political and media agendas. In 2018, Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest cocoa producer that has experienced high deforestation rates, adopted a new forest policy willing to transform its more than 75% degraded gazetted forests into agroforests. According to state law, cash crops are prohibited in gazetted forests that are dedicated to logging but most have been ‘illegally’ occupied by people, encouraged by national economic development policies. The new legislation that created the agroforest concept, now authorizes agriculture but only in the form of agroforestry in gazetted forests as a way to regain forest cover. Agroforests must preferably be developed by private companies. This article is part of an analysis of environmental policies related to reforestation and agricultural transition, from a political science perspective. It suggests instrumentalization of socio-environmental issues and agroforestry for political and economic purposes. The article analyzes how and why agribusinesses are designated as being the best placed to implement a socio-ecological transition and the social and ecological consequences of the designation. This privatization is part of a context of disavowal by a state institution responsible for the management of gazetted forests in a neoliberal context, but in no way represents a withdrawal or loss of power by the state. The Ivorian state is using private intermediaries to regain control over these gazetted forests, contested territories over which it lost control.