PASSAD - Forêt

Côte d’Ivoire has experienced one of the highest deforestation rates in Africa, losing nearly 90% of its forest cover over the past six decades. This decline, driven by agricultural expansion and illegal logging, has weakened a once-thriving forestry sector and increased greenhouse gas emissions. While forests remain a critical source of livelihoods, especially in rural areas, they are under growing pressure. Women, though central to forest-based subsistence and informal value chains, face significant barriers to land rights, forest governance, and access to economic benefits. The national forestry education system, governance framework, and resource management capacities are currently undergoing reforms to support a shift towards sustainable, inclusive, and participatory forest management.

Tek plantation

Our mission: promoting a sustainable and inclusive forest economy / building inclusive forest economies for a resilient future

The Support programme for sustainable forestry and agri-food systems (Programme d’appui aux systèmes sylvicole et agroalimentaire durables in French, or PASSAD) is committed to promoting a sustainable and inclusive forest economy in Côte d’Ivoire by integrating environmental protection, climate adaptation, gender equality, and poverty reduction into every aspect of its work. From forest to market, the project supports all actors in the value chain—public and private forest owners, foresters, processors, and traders—through a holistic approach that addresses declining forest resources and strengthens economic resilience.

Central to the mission is the empowerment of women and vulnerable groups, ensuring their access to resources, decision-making, and economic opportunities. By enhancing vocational training, securing land tenure, and aligning with the EU’s Gender Action Plan (GAP III), PASSAD aims to foster equitable forest governance while restoring post-forest landscapes and strengthening the livelihoods of those who depend on them.

Our work: strengthening the sustainable and inclusive management of forestry resources in Côte d'Ivoire

The forestry part of the programme (PASSAD – Forêt) aims to develop production capacities and sustainable forest resource management in Côte d’Ivoire. It comprises three complementary components:

Component 1: Technical assistance to the Sustainable Forest Restoration Programme

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is supporting the implementation of the National Strategy for Forest Preservation, Rehabilitation and Expansion (SPREF) through a sovereign loan of 100 billion CFA francs dedicated to the implementation of the Sustainable Forest Restoration Programme (PRDF).

The PRDF foresees various interventions (reforestation, agroforestry, assisted natural regeneration, thinning of existing stands) in 20 classified forests covering more than 500 000 hectares in the north and south of the country. The PRDF also provides for interventions in the rural domain surrounding these classified forests (5 000 hectares).

To this end, it receives technical assistance from PASSAD-Forêt, which aims to support the Ministry of Water and Forests (MINEF) and stakeholders (national and local actors) in the implementation and monitoring of this investment.

This technical assistance takes the form of the following support to the programme management unit:

  • Preparing documentation for the first loan disbursement: project operations manual, procurement plan, environmental and social management framework, etc.
  • Preparing management plans for classified forests and preparation of monitoring and audit procedures.
  • Formulating projects in the rural domain surrounding the 20 classified forests (reforestation in and along watercourses, agroforestry, enrichment of sacred forests, etc.).
  • Integrating livestock, cashew/shea and carbon value chains into the management plans implemented by the PRDF.
  • Exploring possibilities for certification of forest plantations.
  • Establishing an organisational/business model for the production and monitoring of plant distribution.
  • Developing a reforestation monitoring module (mature and recent plantations) linked to the National Forest Monitoring System (SNSF).
  • Feeding into the MINEF's Environmental and Social Information and Management System (SIGES).
  • Developing of a national information system dedicated to monitoring standing areas and volumes and monitoring volumes and flows of harvested timber.
Component 2: VPA implementation

Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) are a key element of the European Union's Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), which aims to stop illegal logging. These bilateral trade agreements are negotiated between the EU and certain timber-producing countries. The FLEGT VPA negotiated and signed between the EU and Côte d’Ivoire provides a legally binding framework to ensure that timber and timber products imported into the EU from Côte d’Ivoire are legal and traceable. The agreement also aims to improve forest governance, combat illegal logging and promote legal timber trade between Côte d’Ivoire and the EU.

The FLEGT VPA aims to ensure that timber exported from Côte d’Ivoire to the EU comes from legal, traceable and responsible sources. It specially provides for:

  • Establishing a timber legality assurance system throughout the value chain.
  • Ensuring compliance with environmental, social and fiscal obligations, including forest management plans and technical standards for logging, workers' rights and the rights of rural communities.
  • Enhancing participation of forest sector stakeholders and inclusive dialogue.
  • Improving the legal and regulatory framework and control practices.
  • Increasing transparency through the publication of data on forests, their management and the actors involved.
  • Strengthening the role of women in forest governance and the sector's economy.
  • Creating a fairer business climate, by aligning all operators with the same rules.

The FLEGT VPA has already contributed to:

  • Strengthening recognition of legal and sustainable forest management.
  • Modernising and digitising timber monitoring procedures (logging, transport, export, etc.).
  • Supporting legal and policy reforms, including the recognition of rural communities' land rights.
  • Recognising the importance of reforestation as a national priority.
  • Strengthening the role of civil society in independent monitoring of the sector.
  • Deepening inclusive and cross-sectoral dialogue between forest sector stakeholders.
Component 3: Private forestry

This component of PASSAD-Forêt aims to develop a sustainable and inclusive forestry system in rural areas. Activities are being implemented in the Agnéby-Tiassa, Mé and Sud-Comoé regions, selected based on their forestry potential, current (and future) level of land tenure security and the complementarity of PASSAD-Forêt with other technical and financial support (notably GIZ and FAO).

This component is structured around two main complementary areas of work.

1.    Strengthening initial and continuing forestry training

This first area of work aims to support the in-depth renewal of initial (certificate) training provision and the development of continuing education (qualification) training for a broader audience. In particular, it involves:

  • Assessing and/or strengthening the teaching capacities of:
    • The National School of Water and Forestry (ENEF)
    • The Higher School of Agriculture (ESA) of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute (INPHB)
    • The School of Specialisation in Forestry (ESF) of the National Institute of Agricultural Vocational Training (INFPA)
  • Updating initial and continuing training curricula leading to qualifications.
  • Developing a range of training courses leading to qualifications that embed sustainable practices as closely as possible to the field, aimed in particular at Ministry of Water and Forests officials.

2.    Supporting owners in the sustainable management and exploitation of their forests

This second area of work aims to support forest owners in managing their forests and marketing their forest products. It includes:

  • Developing and disseminating a guide to good forestry practices.
  • Supporting the roll-out of the MINEF Timber Price Observatory.
  • Working in 40 villages to benefit 600 forest owners identified in partnership with the Rural Land Agency (AFOR), giving priority to women holding land certificates.
  • Developing and implementing Simplified Development Plans (PAS) or Management Plans (PG) on 3 000 hectares.
  • Supporting 15 silviculturists and 15 forest farmers in formalising their activities and modernising their equipment and practices.
  • Conducting pilot activities dedicated to supplying wood to the internal market and to the exploitation/valorisation of wood by the owners themselves.

Resources

 

Contact: Pascal Cuny, Programme Manager PASSAD - Forêt