Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire is the largest African banana exporter, representing 2% of the global export market bananas. It is the fourth largest supplier to the EU, with over 300,000 tonnes imported in 2023. Key destinations for Ivorian bananas are France, Belgium and the UK – together representing three of the four European countries who have already made public commitments to implement living wages in their banana supply chains.

The Ivorian industry generates 12,974 direct jobs in the West African nation, where 23% of roles are occupied by women workers – a proportion markedly higher than in many banana exporting nations in Central and Latin America. Producers association Afruibana presents a national industry that is committed to sustainability, aiming to grow its share of the European market through widespread transitions agroecological practices. In addition, the industry is strongly committed to social dialogue and investment in workers and their communities, they say. While the world’s top three banana exporters globally – Ecuador, the Philippines and Guatemala – all feature on the ITUCs top ten worst countries for workers, Côte d’Ivoire is among the few banana exporting nations bucking the trend, with a relatively stable rating of 3, only surpassed by Ghana and the Dominican Republic who were more highly ranked for labour conditions.