Project “Attiéké: Food security for UNESCO’s food heritage”
July 31st marked one year since the launch of the project funded by the Rome-based Prosolidar Foundation—a Third Sector philanthropic entity (ETS)—to improve food security in the Ivorian villages of Ayamé and Tiagba. The project will last one year with a budget of €34394.
Attieké is a local traditional dish made from cassava semolina, red palm oil, and fish (recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage food since 2024), which forms the staple diet of rural populations.
The project has multiple objectives:
- Improve productivity, quality, and environmental awareness by eliminating any chemical products in cultivation
- Contain the environmental impact and reduce intermediaries through zero-kilometer production
- Increase the profitability of local farmers and promote female empowerment
- Ensure the continuous availability of the food in the two villages and surrounding areas.
The project is structured on two levels and involves the use of technologies compatible with local skills to ensure high product quality and hygiene throughout all stages of the production process:
1. Exchange of expertise between the two villages with the support of an agronomist to improve cassava production
2. Construction of two small facilities for palm fruit oil extraction and cassava processing and transformation.All stages of the project, monitored by Agency N.1 of Pavia for Ayamé and the partner Farafina, include training for both operators and managers.
The project is currently nearing completion.
Cassava yields have improved significantly; in Ayamé, red oil production facilities have been installed and are now operational, with output steadily increasing.
Unfortunately, in February, severe flooding in Tiagba destroyed the area originally designated for the project, necessitating the relocation of the production site to the village of Souia. This caused delays that have only recently been made up.
The project is set to conclude in the coming months, and the economic and sustainability targets appear to be within reach.
