Olam Agri Recognises & Rewards Ivorian Rubber Growers in Abengourou & Duékoué

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire - Olam Agri has recognised rubber growers in Abengourou and Duékoué under its flagship Gouassou programme (meaning “bonus” in the local language), which rewards the best rubber cooperatives and growing partners for their loyalty, quality, and volume of rubber across Côte d’Ivoire and forms part of the company’s broader strategy to foster sustainable and inclusive rubber production.

This marks the 14^th edition of the programme and for the first time recognition events were held in two regions — Abengourou in the east and Duékoué in the west — reflecting Olam Agri’s drive to strengthen its presence in the regions and to expanding the programme nationwide to deepen its partnerships with growers throughout the country. Each event brought together key regional stakeholders, including rubber growers, cooperatives, and local authorities to recognise local supplier-producers for their consistency and quality.
 

In Abengourou and Duékoué, Olam Agri distributed items and supplies aimed at supporting productivity and promoting farmer autonomy including 5 five-tonne trucks, 15 motorbikes, 20 tricycles, seven laptops, 25 smartphones, 34 food kits, over 5,400 units each of machetes, tapping knives and boots along with farmer payments totaling XOF 9,250,000 (US$ 16,050).

The event was the first in the west of Côte d’Ivoire and coincided with the recent inauguration of Olam Agri’s new rubber processing plant in Dibobly/Guéssabo, which represents a major step forward in its strategy to strengthen its presence in the region. 

Saluted by APROMAC and industry leaders

In his address during the Duékoué ceremony, Mr. Charles Emmanuel Yacé, Chairman of the Board of APROMAC, praised the Gouassou programme as a model of corporate social responsibility and commended Olam Agri for its role in advancing the rubber sector. 

He highlighted Côte d’Ivoire’s leadership in the rubber industry — now ranked first in Africa and third globally, with over 1.68 million tonnes produced in 2024 — and acknowledged the valuable collaboration among growers, processors, and technical partners, noting Olam Agri’s active involvement in driving the industry forward.

Committed to supporting growers, communities and the environment

Olam Agri’s rubber business operates with a sustainability model anchored in three priorities: empowering growers, uplifting rural communities, and protecting the environment. Since the launch of the Gouassou programme in 2017, it is estimated that the rewards distributed by Olam Agri have created societal value amounting to more than US$4.6 million, contributing to the uplift of over 20,000 farmers’ livelihoods. This includes distributing over 15,500 school kits to producers’ children, provided equipment covering 55,000 hectares of plantations, and facilitating the transport of 250,000 tonnes of rubber through its dedicated logistics fleet.

Community impact remains a core pillar, focusing on maternal health awareness, access to water and healthcare infrastructure, and income-generating initiatives. The company supports youth employability through training and job creation. To address environmental concerns, Olam Agri has launched an ambitious reforestation initiative aiming to plant one million trees by 2030 as part of its contribution to the fight against climate change.