Côte d’Ivoire – PASA Programme: strengthening food safety and the competitiveness of horticulture and artisanal fisheries value chains

The European Union Delegation in Côte d’Ivoire has entrusted COLEAD with the implementation of the Food Safety Support Programme (PASA Côte d’Ivoire). With a duration of four years, the programme aims to strengthen the contribution of the agri-food sector to economic growth, food security, and sustainable development by improving the competitiveness, resilience, inclusiveness, and sustainability of value chains.

The programme primarily targets the horticulture and artisanal fisheries sectors, with support focused on strengthening stakeholders’ capacities in sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) quality management, as well as helping them adapt to evolving market requirements.

The technical launch workshop was held on 26 March 2026 in Abidjan, bringing together COLEAD, the European Union Delegation, and around fifty stakeholders from public institutions, professional organisations, and the private sector. It provided an opportunity to present the programme’s objectives, expected results, and implementation modalities, while laying the foundations for collaboration with beneficiaries.

Several activities are already underway, including the development of market profiles for the targeted value chains, the design of a sustainable model for strengthening SPS-related skills and technologies, and the adaptation of COLEAD’s sustainability self-assessment tool (SAE) to artisanal fisheries.

Further actions are in preparation, including the implementation of SPS diagnostics using COLEAD’s R-SAT tool and pilot testing of innovative solutions tailored to the targeted value chains.

To date, around 15 requests for support have been received. These will be assessed through field missions from mid-May, with a view to signing development projects with beneficiary partners.

This activity is implemented by COLEAD and supported by the Food Safety Support Programme for the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire (PASA-Côte d’Ivoire), funded by the European Union through the EU Delegation in Côte d’Ivoire. This communication has been produced with the financial support of the EU. Its contents are the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the EU.