Ivory Coast : AGK and ITCSheTrades create market links for SMEs in the shea and cassava sectors

the 7 July 2021 took place at the Novotel hotel, Abidjan, the official opening ceremony of the capacity building workshop 10 SMEs in the shea and cassava sectors in Ivory Coast. This workshop is part of the partnership between the Global Shea Alliance and the International Trade Center for the implementation of the ITC SheTrades project in West Africa. During the workshop, a B2B forum enabled SMEs to exchange directly with buyers with a view to forging market links.

Communications were also made on the market requirements of the cassava and shea sectors., current trends and best practices in commercial negotiation with regard to these two sectors. In addition, regional SMEs shared their experiences with Ivorian SMEs on several themes including the hotel market and the distribution of shea-based cosmetic products., how to create a showcase of shea products in an airport, online sales as well as national and international distribution channels.

The ITC SheTrades West Africa project, supported by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), aims to improve the livelihoods of ten thousand (10.000) women engaged in selected agricultural value chains in Côte d'Ivoire, in Guinea, in Liberia and Sierra Leone.