Ivory Coast partners with Brazil’s CODEVASF to upgrade livestock, fisheries sectors

IVORY COAST – Côte d’Ivoire has signed a cooperation agreement with Brazilian public development company CODEVASF as the West African country seeks to modernise its livestock and fisheries industries and increase domestic production of animal protein.

The partnership agreement was finalised on May 8 by Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources, Sidi Tiémoko Touré, and CODEVASF Director of Revitalisation José Vivaldo Mendonça.

Under the arrangement, the Brazilian institution will support Côte d’Ivoire in adapting elements of Brazil’s agricultural development framework, which combines infrastructure planning, resource management, and value chain organisation across the primary sector.

In addition, the Ivorian government said the collaboration will target improvements in livestock and fisheries through initiatives linked to industrialisation, land management, and production systems designed to increase local supply capacity.

Focus on Local Protein Production

The Ministry of Animal and Fisheries Resources stated that the cooperation is intended to improve access to animal protein while positioning Côte d’Ivoire as a regional hub for livestock and fisheries development.

Meanwhile, the livestock and fisheries sector currently accounts for about 5% of Côte d’Ivoire’s agricultural gross domestic product, according to official figures.

The agreement comes as Côte d’Ivoire continues to depend heavily on imported meat products to meet local demand, with government statistics showing that imports of meat and offal reached 164,269 tonnes carcass weight equivalent in 2024.

Furthermore, imported products accounted for 51% of the country’s total animal protein consumption during the same period, reflecting the scale of the supply gap faced by local producers.

Brazil’s Agricultural Model

Brazil has developed one of the world’s largest livestock and agricultural industries through long-term investment in research, logistics infrastructure, and integrated production chains.

According to data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization, Brazil ranks as the world’s second-largest beef producer after the United States and remains the leading global exporter of beef products.

The South American country is also the fifth-largest dairy producer worldwide behind India, the United States, Pakistan, and China, making it one of the largest suppliers in global agricultural markets.

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