VERSUS BANK is reaffirming its commitment to Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa industry, positioning itself as a financial partner for businesses and other players across the cocoa value chain, from producers and cooperatives to processors and companies.

The bank is taking part in the 10th edition of the National Cocoa and Chocolate Days (JNCC), held from September 1 to 3, 2026, at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre. The event brings together stakeholders from one of Côte d’Ivoire’s most strategic economic sectors.

VERSUS BANK says its approach is focused on supporting the different players involved in the cocoa industry and helping them develop their activities through access to financing.

For the bank, strengthening the cocoa sector goes beyond increasing bean production. It also requires greater local processing, investment in businesses and stronger support for the various stages of the value chain in order to generate more economic value within Côte d’Ivoire.

The strategy comes as Côte d’Ivoire seeks to increase the share of cocoa processed locally. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that the country aims to process 80% of its cocoa beans domestically by 2030. Primary processing capacity was estimated at nearly 1 million tonnes during the 2024/25 season, with ongoing investments expected to raise capacity to around 1.4 million tonnes.

Financing remains a major challenge for the sector. The FAO estimates that working-capital requirements across Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa industry could reach around €4.3 billion, reflecting in part the high cost of procuring cocoa beans and the financial requirements associated with processing.

For financial institutions, this creates opportunities to develop financing solutions adapted to producers, cooperatives, processors and small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the sector.

VERSUS BANK, which has a strong focus on financing Ivorian SMEs and businesses, says it wants to contribute to the development of the industry by supporting the different links in the cocoa value chain.

The stakes are significant for Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s leading cocoa producer. Increasing local processing would allow the country to capture a larger share of the value generated by cocoa before products reach international markets.

The development of financing mechanisms for producers, cooperatives, processing facilities and companies is therefore increasingly seen as an important factor in improving the competitiveness of the sector and creating new economic opportunities.

Through its participation in the 2026 JNCC, VERSUS BANK is highlighting a model in which the growth of the cocoa industry is closely linked to the development of the wider economy from farmers and families to businesses, processors and financial institutions.

For Côte d’Ivoire, the objective is increasingly clear: producing more cocoa matters, but creating more value from every cocoa bean could matter even more.