Stake: to show how Africa’s natural heritage can play a role in the welfare and health sector and thus be a remarkable generator of employment and wealth. Knowledge of the medicinal virtues of plants is part of the African cultural heritage. It is estimated that at least 50% of the medicines prescribed today are of…
Driven by the economic growth of recent years and its lot of emerging middle classes, the cigar is becoming increasingly popular in Africa. A favourable economic situation on which a handful of the continent’s brands are now seeking to capitalize. Among them, the Moroccan Habanos, which has a cigar manufacturing unit in Casablanca. For Ressources,…
Africa’s extractive industries (hydrocarbons, minerals, timber) are regularly singled out for corrupt practices. The British NGO Global Witness, which has been denouncing the continent’s bad practices in this area for years, is well aware of this. In this interview for Resources, researcher Nathasha White, a specialist in these issues within the organisation, looks back at…
Revealed to the general public by the feature film « Slavery, a global investigation » (2000), a British documentary by Brian Woods and Kate Blewett broadcasting (among others) the testimonies of child victims of trafficking in West Africa, forced child labour is now a major issue in the sector. According to the Cocoa Barometer 2018, more than…
Using blockchain technology to guarantee the compliance of cash crop commodities and ensure a better income for farmers? Damn, but of course! Still not widespread in Africa, this “trust machine” offers opportunities that go far beyond the creation of crypto-currencies. In Ghana, it is used as part of a pilot project to create a digital…
A technocrat and politician of Beninese origin who held several ministerial portfolios (Justice, Youth and Women’s Employment, Microfinance, etc.) under President Boni Yayi before becoming special advisor to the Togolese President, Reckya Madougou is now one of the leading figures in the fight for financial inclusion on the continent. A position that would make her,…
After training at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and the École de Guerre Économique de Paris (EGE), a career start on Wall Street and experience as a senior trader at the Conseil café-cacao de Côte d’Ivoire, Mehmet Issa N’Diaye is now at the head of BlackPearl, a company based in Abidjan and specialized in strategic…
Marie-Chantal Kaninda, a Congolese woman (DRC), has been the Executive Director of the World Diamond Council since March 2017, having worked with the largest international mining groups (Ashanti Goldfields, AngloGold Ashanti, De Beers, Rio Tinto…). A key institution that represents the interests of the industry, particularly in the context of the Kimberley Process. As one…
Michel Arrion, who was appointed head of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) at the end of September 2018, took up his duties on January 1st 2019, succeeding Jean-Marc Anga of Ivory Coast. For the new number 1 of ICCO, increasing the income of small producers is a priority that is not only an ethical imperative,…
Raw materials markets are crucial to the global economy and fascinating. And for good reason: their importance is only equaled by the opacity that surrounds the major players in this universe of insiders. The cocoa sector is no exception. Fanta Bernath de Font-Réaulx, a recognized specialist in this segment after having been active for a…
