Soubré is the largest cocoa-producing region in Côte d’Ivoire. About 40% of the cocoa in the country is grown there. The region has several protected areas threatened by agriculture, including Tai National Park in the west, Niégré Forest Reserve in the southeast, Rapid Grah Forest Reserve in the north and south, and Mont Kourabahi Forest Reserve. Due to poverty, these forests are threatened by cocoa farmers, who rely on the land for income.

Agriculture in the region is heavily dependent on small-scale farmers, who struggle with low productivity due to farming practices. Finding a balance between providing livelihoods for farmers and reducing pressure on forests is the main focus of our work in Soubré. We work in collaboration with a growing number of local and national stakeholders. The pillars of our work are smallholder resilience, regenerative agriculture, and the restoration and maintenance of degraded forests.

• Collaboration with 7 cooperatives and communities to reduce deforestation and restore forests
• Maintenance and monitoring of a 73-hectare area by a community in Kossou
• Completed preliminary HCS (High Carbon Stock) and HCV (High Conservation Values) study around the Monts Kourabahi Forest Reserve to identify areas for conservation

• 1706 farmers engaged through livelihoods training
• 873 farmers and 39 women supported through income diversificatio
• 206 farmers have access to finance through the VSCAs
• 294 income generating activities conducted
• 582 farmers trained on best management practices and farm management plans
• 182 farmers involved in replanting their plots
• 360 women involved in supporting access to finance and land rights
• 23 VSLA groups created
  

• Implemented and supported agroforestry systems in 1129 cocoa plantations and 52 palm oil plantations inside and outside the forest reserves
• 2 vegetables/food plots implemented, a chicken farming model under cash crops with 3 producers