• Ivory Coast plans to deploy Huawei’s “Smart Agriculture” platform to improve farm productivity, crop monitoring and climate resilience.
• Agriculture contributes 15% of GDP and employs about 46% of the country’s workforce.
• Authorities aim to strengthen traceability systems in cocoa and cashew supply chains amid tighter European environmental regulations.

Ivory Coast plans to strengthen the digitalization of its agriculture sector. Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production Minister Bruno Nabagné Koné met a delegation from Huawei Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan on Tuesday, May 19.

Acting Managing Director Benoît Wu led the delegation. The discussions focused on the “Smart Agriculture” project, which Huawei launched in 2023 during the International Exhibition of Agriculture and Animal Resources (SARA). The initiative aims to modernize farming practices through digital technologies.

Digitalisation de l'agriculture : le Ministre Bruno Koné échange avec Huawei Côte d'Ivoire

Le Ministre de l'Agriculture, @Bruno_N_Kone, a reçu ce mardi 19 mai, à son cabinet, une délégation de Huawei Côte d'Ivoire, conduite par son directeur général par intérim, M. Benoît Wu.… pic.twitter.com/YzcW9JAl3o

— MINADRPV (@minadrpv) May 19, 2026

The project notably includes the deployment of a digital platform capable of mapping agricultural plots, monitoring crop development and providing farmers with data on inputs, yields and weather conditions. Authorities believe these tools could improve agricultural productivity, strengthen farm monitoring and support producers’ decision-making in response to climate-related risks.

Moreover, Minister Bruno Koné gave preliminary approval to support the initiative, which he described as a strategic lever for accelerating the modernization of Ivory Coast’s agricultural sector. The government also wants to establish closer cooperation with Huawei Côte d’Ivoire to support the operational rollout of the project across the country.

The initiative comes as several African countries accelerate the digitalization of agriculture to improve yields and strengthen sector resilience. In Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer and a leading cashew producer, traceability and agricultural data collection have become increasingly important. New environmental requirements imposed by international markets, particularly the European Union, continue to drive this trend. Several plantation geolocation and digital supply-chain monitoring programs already operate within the cocoa sector.

Beyond farm modernization, Ivorian authorities also want to use digital technologies to strengthen food security, improve farmers’ access to agricultural information and support the structural transformation of the sector. The government now considers digital technology a key tool for improving the competitiveness of Ivorian agriculture and attracting additional investment into agricultural value chains.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum