Faced with the climate emergency and the drastic disappearance of Ivorian forests, the Union of Agricultural and Forestry Businesses (Unemaf) brought together experts and decision-makers on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Cocody. The objective: to break with the traditional opposition between cash crop farming and forest preservation in order to build a model of sustainable coexistence.

An alarming observation, a shared responsibility

The diagnosis made by the president of Unemaf, Yoro Bi Tizié , is unequivocal. In a century, the Ivorian forest cover has collapsed, falling from 16 million to only 2.9 million hectares .

While agriculture is the primary driver of deforestation, poorly managed logging exacerbates the situation by degrading the soil, ultimately harming agricultural productivity itself. For Unemaf, the solution lies not in conflict, but in technical and regulatory synergy .

The pillars of a new roadmap

The workshop aimed to remove institutional and technical obstacles in order to chart a common course. Discussions focused on three main themes:

1. Impact analysis : Assess the loss of ecosystem services essential to agriculture.
2. Policy framework : Aligning state programs to promote complementarity between sectors.
3. Sharing solutions : Disseminating good sustainable practices already proven in the field.

Towards "intelligent" space management

Despite the seriousness of the figures, a wind of optimism is blowing among industrialists. Boubacar Ben Salah , president of the Syndicate of Industrial Wood Producers (Spib), highlights the momentum of intensive reforestation observed over the last ten years.

"We must manage space responsibly and intelligently. The future lies in intensive agriculture on small plots , allowing us to obtain better yields without encroaching further on the forest."

A multi-sectoral mobilization

This dialogue brought together a full range of stakeholders: the Ministries of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, and the Environment, as well as cooperatives and financial partners. This inclusive approach is considered crucial for translating the workshop's recommendations into concrete actions on the ground.