Why this matters
Côte d'Ivoire is the world's largest cocoa-producing country, yet many farming families there still earn far below a living income. This economic gap creates a ripple effect: reduced access to education, fewer opportunities, and a higher risk of child labour.
Oxfam’s Bite to Fight initiative addresses these root causes by helping farming communities diversify income sources and strengthening long-term economic resilience.
Fuji Oil Europe’s contribution focuses on two key areas:
- Women’s economic empowerment
- Education and the reduction of child labour
The goal is simple but meaningful: help create the conditions in which farming families can build more stable futures.
First project update: promising progress
The first progress report shows encouraging results.
Empowering women through financial independence
A key pillar of the project is supporting women through Village Savings and Loan Associations (AVECs) - local groups that help members access financial resources and develop additional income streams.
As of April 2026:
✅ 10 AVEC groups have officially submitted their statutes to local authorities, fully achieving the project objective and helping these groups gain access to future support and development opportunities.
✅ A seven-day training on leadership and household budget management was completed, reaching nearly 300 women across 15 AVEC groups (original target: 150 participants). The programme strengthened financial management skills, leadership capabilities and women’s confidence within their households.
In addition, funds are being prepared to help women-led projects such as vegetable gardening, rice cultivation and small-scale livestock farming. These activities contribute to a diversification of household income.
Helping children return to education
In many rural communities, children without a birth certificate cannot enrol in school. Through this project, 200 birth certificates have been fully financed, removing a critical barrier to education. Administrative procedures are currently ongoing through the court in Daloa.
The ambition is clear: give children a path back into the education system, and help break the cycle of child labour.
At Fuji Oil Europe, we believe sustainable cocoa starts at origin: by supporting the people and communities behind it.
We look forward to sharing future updates as the project continues.
Want to learn more about our approach to sustainable cocoa?
Visit our Cocoa Sustainability page