Coffee production in Ivory Coast is important for the economy of the country as coffee is the second largest export commodity of the country. [1] It was the largest coffee producer in Africa in the 1970s and 1980s, [2] and one of the largest robusta producers in the world. [3] Today however, Ivorian coffee production has been far superseded by Vietnam and Brazil. It ranks 14th in the world ranking.
Coffee plants were introduced into the country in the 19th century by French colonizers. [4] Following World War II, coffee production increased from 36,000 tons in 1945 to 112,500 tons in 1958. [5] After Ivory Coast became independent (in 1960), coffee production peaked in the 1970s making it the third-largest coffee-producing country in the world, after Brazil and Colombia, before the civil war unsettled cultivation. [1] Coffee production and policy are derived from the era when Ivory Coast was a colony of French West Africa. This has attracted French companies to invest in the sector. [6]
Ivory Coast produces mostly robusta coffee. [7]
According to the FAOSTAT database of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, production of "green" (i.e., unroasted) coffee beans in the Ivory Coast was the following (in tons): [8]
| Year | Coffee Produced (tons) |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 202,105 |
| 1970 | 279,610 |
| 1975 | 270,400 |
| 1980 | 249,608 |
| 1985 | 277,082 |
| 1990 | 285,164 |
| 1995 | 194,968 |
| 2000 | 380,000 |
| 2005 | 230,000 |
| 2010 | 94,372 |
| 2011 | 32,291 |
| 2012 | 121,426 |
| 2013 | 103,743 |
| 2014 | 114,387 |
| 2015 | 127,000 |
| 2016 | 106,000 |
| 2017 | 103,514 |
Production of green robusta coffee output in the nation peaked at 380,000 tons in 2000. [9] Production subsequently declined over more than a decade of upheaval in the country, particularly during the First Ivorian Civil War (2002–2007) and Second Ivorian Civil War (2010–2011). [9] In 2014, the Ivorian agriculture minister announced a new annual production target of 400,000 tons of coffee by 2020, about four times its present rate. [9]
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is the port city of Abidjan. It borders Guinea to the northwest, Liberia to the west, Mali to the northwest, Burkina Faso to the northeast, Ghana to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf of Guinea to the south. With 30.9 million inhabitants in 2023, Ivory Coast is the third-most populous country in West Africa. Its official language is French, and indigenous languages are also widely used, including Bété, Baoulé, Dioula, Dan, Anyin, and Cebaara Senufo. In total, there are around 78 different languages spoken in Ivory Coast. The country has a religiously diverse population, including numerous followers of Islam, Christianity, and traditional faiths often entailing animism.
Coffea canephora is a species of coffee plant that has its origins in central and western sub-Saharan Africa. It is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. Though widely known as Coffea robusta, the plant is scientifically identified as Coffea canephora, which has two main varieties, robusta and nganda.
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Since becoming an independent country, Ivory Coast has transitioned from an economy dominated by agriculture—coffee and cocoa in particular—to a diversified economy with a large service sector. From 1960 to 1976, government policy focused on investing revenues from agricultural export into infrastructure. From 1976 to 1980, factors such as a boom-bust in coffee and cocoa prices, over-investment funded by foreign debt, and a devaluation of the US Dollar led Ivory Coast to the brink of financial crisis. Decreased revenues from coffee and cocoa exports continued into the 80's and early 90's, increasing the burden of foreign debt and eventually requiring lender negotiation. This resulted in the privatization of many state-owned enterprises with mixed levels of success. In 1994, the economy began a comeback due to devaluation of the CFA franc, increased export revenues, financial reforms, and debt rescheduling. Since then the economy has been impacted by and rebounded from political crises such as the 1999 coup d'état and the 2011 election crisis.
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