WASHINGTON, May 25, 2018--The World Bank today approved a credit of $70 million from the International Development Association (IDA)* to help rural communities in Côte d'Ivoire with increased access to digital services, which will eventually help improve farm productivity and access to markets.
Côte d'Ivoire E-Agriculture Project will benefit about 6.1 million smallholder farmers who represent around a quarter of the total 23.7 million inhabitants in Côte d’Ivoire.
“While the agriculture sector is an important driver of Côte d’Ivoire’s economy, accounting for 22 percent of gross domestic product and more than 75 percent of exports, it has had only a modest impact on income growth and poverty reduction in rural areas over the last decades because it is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices,” said Pierre Laporte, World Bank Country Director for Cote d’Ivoire. “This project will ensure that farmers have timely information on keyaspects of the agriculture value chain such as the seed market and that public institutions can collect agricultural and rural statistics for more efficient sector polices and strategy”, he added.
The new project is well aligned with both the Government’s National Agricultural Investment Program (NAIP) and its e‐agriculture strategy (2016‐2019). It is also consistent with the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and will directly contribute to two of its objectives regarding agriculture and infrastructure. The operation will also serve as a pilot and reference for other e‐agriculture initiatives launched by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire.
* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 75 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.5 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 54 percent going to Africa.
