Côte d’Ivoire country strategic plan (2026–2029)

CSP approved by the EB June 2026 session 

Côte d’Ivoire has made substantial progress in economic growth, infrastructure development and political stability. However, in 2025 more than 1 million people faced crisis levels of food insecurity (phase 3 of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system). The food security situation of an additional 3.3 million people was under stress (phase 2), while malnutrition – especially among women and children – remains a public health concern. Food insecurity is driven by natural hazards, environmental degradation and structural vulnerabilities in addition to the consequences of crises in neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, rising pressure on natural resources and local services is increasing the need for integrated, sustainable and nationally driven solutions. 

To respond to these challenges, WFP’s country strategic plan for Côte d’Ivoire for 2026–2029 is aligned with national priorities, including the national development plan for 2026–2030, and the United Nations sustainable development cooperation framework for the same period. The country strategic plan is structured around two integrated outcomes. 

➢ Outcome 1. Food-insecure and shock-affected populations in Côte d’Ivoire can meet their essential food and nutrition needs during and in the aftermath of shocks. 

➢ Outcome 2. By 2029, the Government has strengthened capacity to deliver a sustainable school meal programme through the promotion of a resilient food system – including improved livelihoods, better natural resource management and the development of local value chains.

Under outcome 1 WFP will provide targeted food assistance and interventions to prevent acute malnutrition in line with national strategies while strengthening emergency preparedness and response systems. Support will include reinforcing early warning and government-led mechanisms to ensure that the most vulnerable households can access timely, appropriate assistance. Where possible, beneficiaries will be gradually linked to recovery and resilience building activities under outcome 2. 

Under outcome 2 WFP will support national efforts to enhance the coverage, quality and sustainability of school meal programmes, with an emphasis on home-grown models. Integrated interventions will strengthen rural livelihoods, land restoration, local value chain development and market access for smallholder farmers. The country strategic plan places strong emphasis on empowering women and young people, strengthening community ownership and fostering sustainable food systems. 

This strategic plan reflects WFP’s evolving role as a strategic enabler, working in close partnership with national institutions to support policy implementation, strengthen systems and enhance the sustainability of interventions. Strong emphasis is placed on institutional capacity strengthening and increased national ownership of programmes. Over the period of the plan, WFP will progressively rebalance its engagement, combining selective direct implementation with intensified support for government capacities at the national and decentralized levels. This approach aims to foster increasingly robust national management and financing of school meal and resilience programmes, while WFP continues to provide tailored technical assistance, policy support and catalytic investments to accompany this evolution. During the period of the CSP, WFP will also explore with the Government options for future WFP engagement, including alternative models of country presence from 2029. 

WFP will continue to promote integrated programming by aligning efforts across the areas of food security, nutrition, education and resilience, in close support of government-led systems and programmes. Strategic partnerships with government institutions, technical agencies and civil society will be essential to maximizing impact and delivering context-specific, scalable solutions. Innovation, evidence generation, the integration of information technology solutions and strengthened coordination at all levels will further support the delivery of effective results. Throughout its interventions, WFP will adopt a needs-based approach aligned with humanitarian principles. 

Through this country strategic plan WFP reaffirms its commitment to supporting national leadership in addressing food and nutrition challenges, strengthening resilience and contributing to sustainable development in Côte d’Ivoire.