Côte d'Ivoire Launches WAEMUs First Agricultural Commodities Exchange
TLDR
- Côte d'Ivoire has launched the Agricultural Commodities Exchange (BMPA), the first of its kind in WAEMU and French-speaking Africa
- The exchange began operations on the sidelines of the SARA agriculture exhibition and will trade cashew nuts, cola nuts, and corn
- The exchange is built on international models such as ICE (USA) and Zhengzhou (China), and features a regulated structure, certified warehouses, and standardized contracts
Côte d'Ivoire has launched the Agricultural Commodities Exchange (BMPA), the first of its kind in WAEMU and French-speaking Africa. The exchange began operations on the sidelines of the SARA agriculture exhibition and will trade cashew nuts, cola nuts, and corn.
Developed since 2011 under the leadership of President Alassane Ouattara, the BMPA aims to modernize and structure the marketing of agricultural products. It operates with six key objectives: establishing a reliable commodities market, increasing price transparency, addressing market distortions, improving farmer incomes and financing, boosting production, and promoting fair trade.
The exchange is built on international models such as ICE (USA) and Zhengzhou (China), and features a regulated structure, certified warehouses, and standardized contracts. The first trading session saw 88.81 tons of products exchanged for over 30 million FCFA ($53,280). Warehouses in Korhogo and Bouaké supported the transactions via a digital platform.
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Key Takeaways
The launch of the BMPA is a strategic step toward transforming Côte d’Ivoire into a regional leader in agricultural logistics and finance. By targeting high-value crops where the country is already a global player, BMPA boosts local bargaining power, attracts investment, and improves market efficiency. As Africa seeks to build resilient food systems, BMPA may serve as a model for other nations. Its success could strengthen food sovereignty and trade equity while integrating producers into formal financing and trade networks. Africa currently has five commodity exchanges, led by South Africa. BMPA’s development adds momentum to the continent’s push for structured agricultural markets and could help align regional economies with global trade norms in a sector where informal transactions have long dominated.
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