• Ivory Coast loses over 100 tons of cocoa, coffee, and cashew nuts weekly to smuggling, despite ongoing border control operations.
• Authorities now shift focus toward civic education and national awareness to fight the illicit outflow of agricultural products.
• In 2023, cocoa, coffee, and cashew exports brought in $512.5 million—66% of all export levies—highlighting the stakes.

Ivory Coast plans to rethink its anti-smuggling strategy after continued losses of agricultural raw materials despite tightened border controls.

Brahima Yves Koné, Director General of the Coffee-Cocoa Council (CCC), said the issue goes beyond legislation. “The problem of coffee and cocoa outflows to neighboring countries is not a legislative issue. It is a matter of civic behavior that requires a national and civic awakening,” he stated on July 11 during a meeting with the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.

His remarks reflect a shift in the government's approach. Authorities want to go beyond physical control and engage citizens in protecting the country’s agricultural wealth.

Operation “Verrou 322,” launched in December 2024, led to the seizure of 594 tons of cocoa by April 2025. But the illegal trade continues. CCC data released on July 16 reveals that more than 100 tons of cocoa, coffee, and cashew nuts leave the country illegally every week through the mountainous western region.

Officials believe smuggling drains national revenue and undermines long-term economic growth. Koné stressed, “The focus must be on education in civic culture to curb this phenomenon that ruins the entire national economy to some extent.”

To support this shift in focus, the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee began a parliamentary fact-finding mission on July 14. Lawmakers will visit the North, Northwest, East, and West of Ivory Coast until July 31. Their goal is to identify root causes of smuggling and propose practical, community-driven solutions.

Authorities hope this combined approach—tighter controls, civic education, and legislative input—will help protect Ivory Coast’s agricultural economy.

In 2023, cocoa, coffee, and cashew nut exports brought in CFA288.6 billion ($512.5 million) in taxes, according to the Directorate General of Customs. These three products alone made up nearly 66% of all export duties collected, totaling CFA436.2 billion ($767.2 million) for the year.

The fight against raw material smuggling remains critical to preserving national revenue and maintaining Ivory Coast’s status as a key global agricultural exporter.

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle
Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum