Ivory Coast: A women’s Cooperative Transforming a Rural Village Through Vegetable Farming

Women in the northern Ivory Coast town of Fapaha have established a cooperative to grow vegetables and sell their produce on the market, giving them the means to support their families independently of government subsidies.

“When I needed something back when I didn’t grow onions, I had to ask someone (for help) (saying), sorry, could you help me?” said Mariam Sulue, the secretary of the Fapaha Women’s Association.

The World Food Programme has contributed to the project by giving them agricultural gear and opportunities to sell their produce to the nearby school kitchen.

“We are providing the tools to produce through the supply chain to several farming groups, most of whom comprise women.

Thanks to the farming project, women can also take center stage in local affairs. They have secured a prominent position in rural society, often dominated by men.

According to economic economist Jean-Marie Biada, “the woman who works in the market garden already has a reserved place in the village nobility hierarchy.”

In 2022 and 2023, the cooperative produced 25 tons of vegetables on 99 acres (40 hectares) and 10 tons of legumes on 44 acres (18 hectares) in partnership with the local school cafeteria. In 2020, research funded by the United Kingdom found that the majority of women in Ivory Coast—42.9%—work in agriculture, more than any other industry.