Empowering honey producers in Ivory Coast

In Ivory Coast, two remarkable businesses are making strides in sustainable honey production, with support from local communities and expert guidance. These businesses, Amine-Indus and Kali Company are not only delivering high-quality honey to markets across the country but are also transforming the lives of their beekeepers and their communities.

Mme Mabre Cissé, a 40-year-old ambitious  entrepreneur, has carried forward her family’s beekeeping legacy with passion and determination. Having learned the craft from her mother, she now collaborates with 63 beekeepers in Northern Ivory Coast to harvest honey from the region’s lush forest vegetation and cashew plantations.

The honey is transported to major cities in the south, where it commands premium prices, significantly improving the income of local beekeepers compared to what they could earn in their immediate region. In addition to selling honey in jars, Amine-Indus also packages honey in convenient 10-gram sticks, ideal for tea and coffee enthusiasts.

Training for growth and excellence

Jan Koeman: “As a PUM expert, I conducted training sessions for Mme Mabre Cissé’s team of 63 beekeepers. We focused on enhancing the interaction between the beekeepers and bees and understanding the lifecycle of honeybees while gaining knowledge of local vegetation and flowering plants.”

Jan worked together with the beekeepers in optimising the care of bee colonies to maximize honey yields. Also managing diseases and pests that affect honeybees was a topic that was discussed. As a seasoned beekeeping expert Jan explored the concept of adding value to the honey to this group, by creating candles and cosmetics from beeswax.

Kali Company, the other company that Jan worked with during his recent visit to Ivory Coast, is a family-run enterprise led by M. Francis Alain Dago and his wife. The entrepreneurs source their honey from cashew plantations and natural forests. Working closely with about 30 beekeepers, the company markets its honey in 250-gram jars, primarily in Ivory Coast’s major cities.

Expanding horizons with specialised training

While the training for Kali Company covered similar topics as that of Amine-Indus, additional emphasis was placed on creating derivative products such as beeswax candles, body creams, and lip balms. In the future, they want to specialize in cosmetics based on natural beeswax and honey.

A shared vision for sustainable success

Both Amine-Indus and Kali Company exemplify how local entrepreneurship, combined with technical training and community collaboration, can create a sustainable and impactful business model. Through their efforts, not only are they enriching their communities, but they are also showcasing the potential of Ivory Coast’s honey industry on a broader stage. These initiatives underline the power of knowledge sharing and innovation in transforming traditional practices into thriving enterprises.