Food in Ivory Coast

Households obtain food through markets, shops, supermarkets, producers, maquis, street vendors, restaurants and hotels. Access is generally not tied to a formal entitlement, but price, distance, seasonal supply, transport conditions and purchasing power can limit what households can buy. In urban areas, especially Abidjan, formal and informal food providers offer a wide range of meals; in rural areas, household cooking, local markets, maquis and street food often have a larger role. The main staples include manioc, yam, plantain, rice, maize, legumes, vegetables, fruit, fish, meat and palm oil. National 2024 production included about 7.39 million tonnes of manioc, 6.96 million tonnes of yam, 2.27 million tonnes of plantain, 1.83 million tonnes of maize and 1.81 million tonnes of rice. Rice is a major urban staple, but domestic production covered about 63% of national demand in 2024, leaving an import gap. Food patterns differ across the country without following rigid regional borders. Coastal and southern areas commonly feature manioc, attiéké, plantain, fish and seafood. Central and eastern areas have strong yam traditions, while northern and savannah areas more often rely on maize, rice, millet, sorghum, groundnuts, yam and meat. Attiéké is fermented manioc semolina that is steamed before serving. Other widely known foods include foutou, placali, kedjenou, garba, alloco, grilled fish, sauce graine and choukouya. Meals may combine a staple with fish, meat, egg or a sauce. Cooking commonly uses steaming, boiling, grilling, frying, stewing and fermentation. Tomato, chilli, okra, groundnut, seed and palm-oil sauces are common bases. Food knowledge is passed on through observation and oral teaching in households, professional kitchens, markets, restaurants and ceremonies. The preparation knowledge of attiéké was added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2024. Women often play major roles in preparation, cooking, preservation and sale, while men are frequently involved in cultivation, harvesting, transport and milling, although actual roles vary by household and community. Food prices in XOF, the CFA franc, change with market, season, region, import share, urban or rural location, product and portion size. Harvest and lean periods differ between northern and southern areas, and climate, imports, demand and religious peak periods can cause short-term changes. The CNLVC publishes price ceilings and display requirements for selected goods such as rice, sugar, oil, tomato concentrate, pasta and baguettes, but there is no stable nationwide price list for all household foods or restaurant meals. Check the current local price and portion before buying. Food safety risks include microbes, chemical contamination, pesticide residues, veterinary medicines, mycotoxins, unsafe packaging and insufficient heating. Food providers must follow applicable hygiene rules, but the type of outlet alone does not guarantee safe food. In 2026, national food-safety planning was still being developed; a control operation covering choukouya at ten sites found cement paper at eight sites and led to seizures and summonses. Consumers can report food-safety concerns to the Police Sanitaire through hotline 143. The food system involves several public bodies. MEMINADERPV and its Direction des Cultures Vivrières coordinate food-crop and food-security measures. DPVCQ handles plant-health, quality and food controls, while LANADA provides agricultural and food-safety laboratory services. The Ministry of Commerce and LANEMA support analysis, metrology and consumer protection. MIRAH and DSVBA cover food of animal origin, and the Ministry of Health and Police Sanitaire handle hygiene and inspections. WFP, UNICEF and FAO support programmes but do not replace the responsible public authorities. Nutrition policy addresses both undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies and rising overweight. The 2024–2027 PNMN focuses on nutrition, while child nutrition remains a concern: about one in five children under five has stunted growth. Between 2017 and 2024, exclusive breastfeeding for infants aged 0–5 months was 34%, introduction of soft foods at 6–8 months was 45%, consumption of at least five food groups was 28%, and minimum acceptable diet was 11%. First foods should use suitable local foods and become more diverse from six months, with the first 1,000 days receiving particular attention. These figures describe nutrition conditions, not a general medical rule for every child. Sustainable food work focuses on reducing post-harvest losses, strengthening local value chains, improving climate resilience, supporting nutrition-sensitive production, agroecology, agroforestry and sustainable fishing or aquaculture. The SCALA programme focuses on manioc and cashew value chains, while school-meal and land-restoration programmes support local producers. Cocoa production also carries deforestation and agroforestry risks. Urban and peri-urban projects include local farming, composting and circular approaches, but sustainable solutions remain fragmented and are still developing.