In Africa, Enabel’s Trade for Development Centre supports various campaigns to promote and advocate more ethical and nature-friendly trade. This is the case in Côte d’Ivoire, where after supporting and participating in various national fair trade days, TDC is now supporting regional days to promote this type of trade. The first of these days was held in San Pedro on 11 September 2024. Let’s talk to Fortin Bley, President of RICE, which organised the event, and his coordinator Marie-Thérèse Tchi Tanoh about the results of the day and the latest news from the Réseau Ivoirien du Commerce Equitable.
First of all, let’s get to know you a little better. What is your background?
Fortin Bley. To tell the truth, when I started to replace my parents on the plantation, I learned on Ivorian television that a cooperative called Kavo Kiva was the first Fair Trade certified cooperative in Côte d’Ivoire. There were reports on television about its achievements, such as building schools and helping producers to make loincloths, and this subject interested me. I thought to myself, how do you get Fairtrade certification? So I approached a number of people who were already involved. We followed the instructions and my cooperative, CANN, was certified in 2012.
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. I have a master’s degree in agricultural economics. I have been Coordinator of the Réseau Ivoirien du Commerce Equitable (RICE) since April 2023. Before that, I was a project manager. The possibility of contributing to the positive transformation of producers’ living conditions motivated me to work at RICE. For me, fair trade represents a model of fair and sustainable development. RICE is committed to social justice, environmental protection and improving working conditions for producers.
Could you briefly present RICE, its objectives and the number of members?
Fortin Bley. RICE was set up in 2009 because there was a need to strengthen producers’ capacities in areas not covered by the Fairtrade standards in Côte d’Ivoire, such as savings and income management.
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. RICE is the association of Fairtrade-certified producer organisations in Côte d’Ivoire. Created in 2009 on the initiative of 9 cooperatives, RICE currently has 80 member POs, representing around 70,000 producers in various agricultural sectors, including cocoa, coffee, cashew nuts, bananas, mangoes and honey.
RICE has three main objectives. The first is to represent and defend the interests of its members before national and international bodies. The second objective is to build the capacity of producers and cooperatives to enable them to better manage their activities, in particular through training, contacts with other partners and the organisation of trade trips to build their commercial capacity. And finally, our third objective is really to promote fair trade by raising awareness among the public and stakeholders in the various agricultural sectors about the advantages of this type of trade, especially in Côte d’Ivoire.
When referring to Fair Trade certified organisations, are you talking about Fairtrade certification or not?
Fortin Bley. RICE was created from Fairtrade-certified cooperatives. Along the way, we integrated all the Fairtrade certifiers such as ECOCERT (Fair for Life certification), WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation) and the SPP Label (symbol of small producers). Initially, RICE member cooperatives were Fairtrade certified. Following the presence of other Fair Trade labels in Côte d’Ivoire, RICE decided to broaden its portfolio to include all Fair Trade labels.
What are the current network’s main activities?
Fortin Bley.We are involved in a number of advocacy activities and we are building the capacity of producers. Today, particularly with regard to the European regulation to combat deforestation (RDUE) and the African standard for sustainable cocoa (ARS-1000), we are raising awareness among cooperatives and producers of the importance of these two standards systems and the forthcoming changes in their operation. Everyone hears about them, but very few are really aware of their content and implications.
Why are you organising the Regional Fair Trade Days?
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. The Fair Trade Days were set up by RICE with the aim of raising awareness of the principles, advantages and impact of Fair Trade in Côte d’Ivoire among those involved in the agricultural sector, as well as the general public. By decentralising this event across the country, we are aiming to forge closer links with cooperatives and producers with a view to promoting fairer trade practices. We are also encouraging producers and their cooperatives to make good use of the development premium to ensure that fair trade has a significant impact in Côte d’Ivoire.
What was the programme of the first Regional Day organised in San Pedro?
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. It began with welcome speeches followed by an inaugural presentation on the principles and impact of Fair Trade. We then organised two panels: the first on the traceability of agricultural products, with a particular focus on the EU Regulation to combat deforestation (RDUE), and the second on sustainable agricultural practices. Finally, a round table on agricultural financing concluded the debates. The day ended with a lunch at which participants were able to network and exchange ideas informally.
Was the event as successful as expected in terms of the number of participants and the dynamic of the discussions?
Fortin Bley. It was a success. We had counted on 100 producers and we got them. And the authorities from the town of San Pedro were there. It’s important for the authorities to take part in discussions with producers so that they can understand their situation and take action.
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. We did indeed have the participation of a number of key players, including producers’ organisations, private sector representatives, NGOs, researchers and local authorities. For example, a teacher-researcher from the University of San Pedro, a specialist in plant pathology, shared his experience in terms of good cultural practices in cocoa farming, particularly in relation to the use of organic products (bio-fertiliser and bio-pesticide) in cocoa farming.
The exchanges were rich and dynamic, with a real desire to understand the principles of fair trade, to discuss new requirements in terms of traceability, agricultural financing and to share experiences on sustainable agricultural practices.
What did it bring to the participants and the producers present?
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. The participants gained a better understanding of the benefits of Fair Trade, particularly in terms of improved incomes, responsible farming practices and institutional strengthening of their organisations. They also learned from the experience of an exporter (GBC), a cooperative (CADESA COOPCA) and the Fairtrade label about their cocoa production traceability system. CADESA has set up its own traceability system, using its own financial resources, in addition to the tools supplied by the exporters. The cooperative ensures that the producer keeps a copy of all the information collected in his field. It was important to explain this to the other producers, to show them that if you want to succeed at something, you can. Finally, the growers received useful information on the use of bio-inputs for environmentally-friendly production.
The day was devoted to the RDUE and the ARS 1000. What are the issues and challenges for producers arising from these regulations and standards? Are RDUE and ARS1000 compatible and complementary?
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. The RDUE and ARS 1000 share a common objective: to use production traceability to reduce and put an end to deforestation. The challenge for producers is to comply with these new requirements while continuing to earn a decent income. Cooperatives will be faced with investment costs and recurring management costs to comply with requirements such as: geolocation, internal information management systems, physical separation of batches and legality of production. The RDUE and the ARS 1000 are complementary on the issue of traceability of cocoa production.
Fortin Bley. We don’t see much that’s new. Today, everything that is being asked for in terms of traceability, reforestation, environmental protection and deforestation are activities that are already being carried out in the field. Through funding, exporters who have taken the lead from the Conseil Café Cacao (CCC) and are making working tools available to cooperatives. But the problem is that the data collected by the exporters is not shared with the cooperatives and producers. Cooperatives have to go through the process all over again if they want to sell to another exporter.
What are the advantages of the ARS1000?
Fortin Bley. In my opinion, professionalisation, because the ARS1000 takes seriously the problems of governance, which are numerous within cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire.
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. The ARS 1000 aims to harmonise cocoa production in Africa and improve international trade. One of its main advantages is that it gives African producers a standardised framework for adopting responsible practices while remaining competitive on international markets.
Certifiers, major buyers, other private players and the government are deploying their own traceability systems. Are these traceability systems compatible with each other? How do co-operatives fit in? What challenges do they face?
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. Although these traceability systems have common objectives, they are not always totally compatible. This can create confusion for cooperatives, which have to manage different tools and platforms to meet the requirements of the various players. The main challenge for co-operatives is to manage these multiple systems while ensuring that they retain control of their members’ data. As far as producers are concerned, they are often co-owners of the data, particularly parcel maps, but this depends on the system set up by each player.
Fortin Bley. It has to be said that the systems have points in common when it comes to collecting the information required from producers and cooperatives, which is more or less the same each time. But there is a risk of confusion on the part of the cooperatives, which have to make a twofold effort. Firstly to satisfy the commercial partner, and secondly the national traceability system, Sydoré. So what we really want is for this national system and these different traceability systems to be harmonised.
Has the production traceability system set up by the Ivorian government been rolled out to all cocoa-producing areas? Are all producers’ plots mapped? Do all producers have a producer card?
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. The traceability system set up by the Ivorian government is making good progress, but it is not yet fully deployed in all cocoa-producing areas. The process of mapping plots is underway, but there are still areas where not all plots have been registered. Similarly, although many producers already have their producer card, some are still waiting for this essential document for traceability and regulation of the sector.
Fortin Bley. I would say that 90% of the plots have been mapped. The census is continuing via the CCC’s regional delegations, but many cocoa farmers still haven’t received their producer cards. That’s the case for me. While the cooperatives were not involved in the process, the CCC is now asking them to take a census of producers who have not yet received their cards.
When and where is the next regional day planned? Will the programme be the same as the one organised in San Pedro?
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. The next regional day will be held in the town of Daloa early next year. The programme will follow a similar structure to that of San Pedro, with panels focusing on traceability, sustainable agricultural practices and financing mechanisms.
What are RICE’s objectives for the end of this year and next year, particularly in terms of advocacy?
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. Our objectives for the end of the year and next year include stronger advocacy for better support for cooperatives to help them comply with the new regulations, and advocacy to obtain institutional support for fair trade in Côte d’Ivoire. We also want to continue to build the capacity of producer organisations and improve their access to international markets.
Is RICE increasingly listened to by the Ivorian authorities and the CCC?
Marie-Thérèse Tanoh. Yes, RICE is increasingly listened to by the Ivorian authorities, including the Conseil du Café-Cacao (CCC). We are invited to discussions on the sustainability of cocoa, and our recommendations are known and understood by the authorities.
Fortin Bley. The early days were very difficult. For years, we couldn’t really get off the ground because we didn’t have any support. But in the last three or four years, everything has fallen into place and we’ve been able to deploy our vision and our mission.
