Growing Fairer Futures in Côte d’Ivoire: End of Project Report

Launched in 2020, this five-year Growing Fairer Futures project supported 50 young people living in the communities close to the cocoa co-operative, CAYAT, in Côte d’Ivoire. 

This project aimed to increase farmers’ household resilience by enabling young people to establish their own cocoa farms and generate a reliable source of income, whilst contributing to the sustainability of cocoa production in the region. 

This project provided young farmers with tailored training, high quality tools, farming equipment, agricultural inputs and ongoing support from Field Technicians at CAYAT.  

Project activities 

During year one of this project, each of the 50 young farmers received:

• 750 disease and climate-resistant cocoa seedlings to plant on farms
• Training in Good Agricultural Practices and Climate-Smart Agriculture to support the growth of cocoa trees
• Farming tools and agroforestry seedlings to intercrop with cocoa, providing important shade for young cocoa trees

Throughout the final year of this project, the focus remained on supporting farmers to implement farm maintenance activities to enhance their cocoa production. These activities included:

• The provision of agri-inputs, including fertiliser
• Additional labour to support with weeding and harvesting activities

Evaluation of project impact  

In November 2025, we conducted a final evaluation of the project to measure production volumes, changes in farmers’ livelihoods and assess the sustainability and robustness of this project over the past five years. 

As part of this evaluation, 49 out of 50 farmers completed a survey, eight farmers were interviewed and consultations were conducted with key stakeholders, including the Project Co-ordinator, CAYAT accountant and lead Field Technician.  

Throughout the project, cocoa production and sales data were recorded. The results are detailed below.  

Cocoa production and sales

The first cocoa harvest was reported in year three of the project. Between years three and four, farmers experienced a significant increase in both production and sales as the trees matured and produced higher yields of cocoa pods. Data from year five shows a 15% decrease in production, reportedly due to a turbulent climatic year with erratic rainfall patterns. This trend was observed among cocoa farmers across Côte d’Ivoire. 

Despite the decline in production, farmer incomes increased by 56% between years four and five. This was driven by improvements in cocoa quality as the trees continued to mature, alongside an increase in the farmgate price set by the Coffee and Cocoa Council of Côte d’Ivoire (CCC).

Farmer Survey Results

Forty-nine farmers completed the end evaluation survey, which asked them to comment on the strengths of the project, effectiveness of activities and changes in their economic resilience. 

Young cocoa farmers have increased their financial resilience 

At the start of this project, the farmers reported an average monthly income of £32, insufficient to meet the needs of their household. During year five of this project, farmers made an average monthly income of £64 from the sale of cocoa, a 100% increase in monthly income. 

32 farmers stated that the increased income provided the capital needed to diversify into other economic activities, including cassava production, poultry, fish farming and vegetable cultivation. This diversification has strengthened financial stability, provided alternative income sources in the event of a poor cocoa harvest, and contributed to the economic development of local communities.

Farmers have established and are sustainability managing profitable cocoa farms  

All farmers surveyed reported an increase in their knowledge of cocoa production. Through the project, farmers acquired new skills in pest and disease management, organic fertiliser production, soil management and water management practices. 

All farmers surveyed rated the cocoa trees provided through the project as ‘productive’ or ‘very productive’, with a high level of resistance to pests and diseases. With regard to shade trees, 47% of farmers (23) rated them as very effective and 51% (25) as effective. Additionally, 88% of farmers rated the inputs received (fertiliser and pesticides) as sufficient or very sufficient. As a result, cocoa production and quality increased.

Farmers have improved their financial literacy and formed savings groups

At the start of this project, all farmers reported low or very low knowledge of record keeping. By the end of the project, 82% of farmers (40) reported they often or always keep records of production costs and sales. This improved financial literacy has supported better household budgeting, increased financial resilience and enhanced farm sustainability. 

It has also enabled farmers to allocate funds more effectively to savings groups, and 69% reported making weekly or monthly savings, alongside investing in their farms. In total, 82% of farmers reported making farm investments during the project, including farm expansion, input purchases and hiring additional labour. 

Farmers also received ongoing support from CAYAT Field Technicians, reinforcing learning, encouraging continued adoption of best practices and providing further training opportunities. This sustained support contributes to the long-term sustainability of cocoa farms, improved household resilience and broader community development.

Anita continued: "My main challenges as a young producer were a lack of knowledge about good agricultural practices and low motivation. Thanks to the project, I began taking better care of my farm, and my yields increased. 

"Cocoa has become a real opportunity for me because it allows me to pay for my children’s education. I chose cocoa farming because, unlike other seasonal crops, cocoa is a perennial crop that produces every year and generates more stable income."

"Throughout the project, we received substantial support, including boots, files, machetes, hoes, tape measures, string lines, cocoa seedlings, shade trees, and fertilisers. All of this equipment was useful. For example, the string lines helped me properly mark out my field and select planting spots for cocoa trees; hoes helped with digging; and fertilisers improved my production while helping me save costs."

"The most significant change for me is that, thanks to this project, I am able to cover the education expenses of my child."

"Every three months, I earn income from cocoa, which has positively transformed my financial situation. My example has encouraged some young people to return to cocoa farming or to take better care of their farms. I have been able to make new investments in my field and better support my family.

"Today, I am able to manage my plantation independently, from start to finish. I continue to apply the good agricultural practices and climate-smart methods that I learned. I remain connected to the CAYAT cooperative, which helps me maintain my production.

Looking ahead, Anita told us: "I am interested in beekeeping within cocoa farming and in diversifying my income. The lack of labour remains a risk, as there is too much work for me to handle alone.  

"I believe this project has changed young people’s perception of cocoa farming by making them more mature and motivated. Today, many young people are interested because of the increase in cocoa prices. 

"What makes cocoa farming attractive is regular and increasing income. To make it even more appealing to young people and women, there needs to be more awareness-raising and communication about the benefits of this crop"

Bruno said: "Through this project I received 750 cocoa seedlings, 10 shade trees, and training. The cocoa seedlings were the most valuable support. Training helped me correct mistakes and improve yields, increasing my confidence."

"The most significant change was increased yields and long-term motivation. I expanded my plantation and inspired others through visible improvements. My status in the community improved, and I now provide advice and financial support to extended family members. 

"Today, I feel capable of managing my cocoa plantation independently. I continue to apply good agricultural practices and climate-smart agriculture methods. As a member of CAYAT, I remain connected to the cooperative for monitoring and support.

"In the future, I would like to invest in my plantation by expanding it. Climate change, lack of rainfall, and drought are the current threats, and I hope that weather conditions will be favourable for cocoa production. To remain engaged, increasing cocoa prices is the best solution. 

"I believe this project has changed young people’s perception of cocoa farming. Today, many young people want to get involved, even though their number remains limited." 

"What makes cocoa farming attractive are the current prices. To make cocoa farming even more appealing, price increases should be maintained."

Project success and future sustainability  

Feedback from the Lead Field Technician at CAYAT, Eric Koudou, highlighted the overall success of the project: 

Eric said: “Observed results indicate that yields in most young farmers’ fields are satisfactory, good practices are being applied, and some young farmers have expanded their plantations. Increased interest and membership of young people in CAYAT and cocoa farming in general have been observed. CAYAT has also strengthened its institutional capacity and reputation. 

"Beyond individual producers, the most significant and visible impact is the enrolment of many new young members into CAYAT. The project has led to a clear increase in young people’s interest in cocoa farming and in CAYAT’s membership, while also strengthening the organisation’s institutional capacity and reputation. 

Expanding on this point, Eric said: "New young members have joined CAYAT from villages where the project was implemented, motivated by the visible success of participating farmers. 

"CAYAT has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustaining project outcomes beyond closure. This includes continued support to young farmers through access to seedlings, fertiliser distribution, skills maintenance and the development of youth-focused networks, with plans to extend this support to other young people in the community."

Growing Fairer Futures: Beekeeping integration in Côte d’Ivoire

Building on the momentum of this project, in 2025, we launched a second youth-focused project with funding from the Chocolonely Foundation, supporting young farmers at CAYAT to diversify into beekeeping. 

This initiative has further strengthened CAYAT’s youth-centred approach. One of its key activities is the delivery of radio programmes to share advice and tips across relevant areas, including cocoa production. The model has proven to be replicable, and CAYAT already has plans to extend it to other youth groups.