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Re-generation

Maroussia Mbaye

published in

Photos of young cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire, who prove that after decades of depletion, soil recovery is possible.

Ferme de Mr. N’Koh, Azagué, Côte d’Ivoire, 2023 — Samson applies biopesticides created on-site to cocoa trees at Mr. N’Koh’s farm. These natural treatments, developed from plant-based formulas and refined over years, of observation help restore soil fertility while maintaining ecological balance. They have been developed from plant-based formulas refined over years of observation.

Côte d’Ivoire gained independence from France in 1960 and has become, in the decades since, the world’s biggest cocoa producer. It produces almost half of the world’s supply. (The vast majority of cocoa beans are exported and then processed elsewhere; for most Ivorians, chocolate is an unaffordable luxury.)

Cocoa production, in the documentary photographer Maroussia Mbaye’s impression, spread like a storm: it raged across the land, exhausted the soil, eroded an entire generation’s futures. Today, cocoa production is imperiled by, well, the recent history of cocoa production. Decades of cocoa-driven spectacular deforestation have left the land fragile, forcing farmers to seek alternatives. Facing falling cocoa prices and the depletion of the soil, farmers turn to crops like peanuts or rubber.

The photographs in these pages are vivid portraits of environmental and economic transformation. Yet they should not be read as documents of ecological despair; in fact they register hope, however fragile that hope may be. Their abiding theme is the ongoing transformation of cocoa production: toward sustainable farming, the recovery of ecosystems. The images particularly gravitate toward women working the land, and toward a younger generation. Women farmers who own their land are a rarity in agriculture; yet in this context, women are in fact at the forefront of the regenerative cocoa industry, driving efforts to restore biodiversity and promote sustainable farming — through the cultivation of indigenous trees alongside cocoa crops, for instance, which supports reforestation and soil health.

Mbaye was born to a Senegalese father and a French mother of Indian and Russian descent. She has worked with the African Development Bank, the United Nations, and Amnesty International. If these images can be said to have an « argument », it is an argument for the achievability of recovery.

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Maroussia Mbaye’s series on regenerative agriculture in Côte d’Ivoire was made possible with the support and a grant of NOOR, an independent production house and foundation focused on visual storytelling and documentary media.

Zagné Region, 2023 — In just sixty years, Côte d’Ivoire has lost most of its forest cover, and much of its farmland is no longer viable. Reforestation, biopesticides and education in new adaptive farming techniques offer a path to reversing this trend.
Cavally Classified Forest, 2023 — Once a vibrant forest, now a battlefield. Illegal cocoa plantations have devastated primary forests, outpacing preservation efforts. Government patrols attempt to reclaim lost land, but reforestation isn’t enough. Ecosystems collapse, biodiversity vanishes and sacred spaces that once anchored communities are lost.
Cocoa carmers, Armanikro, 2023
Cacaocultrice, Armanikro, Guiglo 2023
Ferme de Mr. N’Koh, Azagué, Côte d’Ivoire, 2023 — Regenerative agricultural practices have transformed the farm of N’Koh Ambroise. At the 2019 International Cocoa Awards in Paris, his beans were ranked among the best in the world. Three years ago he produced 120 kilograms. He has since boosted annual production to 1,5-2 tons, and by refining raw product, has increased revenue from cocoa by seventy percent.
Cocoa Farmers, Armanikro, 2023 — Women cocoa farmers who own their land are a rarity in agriculture — especially in cocoa farming and regenerative agriculture. They stand out not only because of their gender but also due to their innovative farming practices and commitment to increasing their incomes through processing, optimization and diversification.
Young farmers and cooperatives play a crucial role in restoring biodiversity through regeneration and reforestation efforts, with a focus on cultivating indigenous tree species.
Ferme de Mr. N’Koh, Azagué, 2023 — A farmer ferments cocoa beans with banana leaves using traditional methods at Ferme de Mr. N’Koh. This natural fermentation process enhances flavor and aroma.
Divo, 2023 — In cocoa-growing villages, survival demands adaptation. Facing falling prices, farmers turn to crops like peanuts, but depleted soils, market instability and expanding rubber plantations threaten the land — forcing them to choose between immediate survival and long-term sustainability.
Djidoubaye, Ivory Coast, 2023
Samson, a young apprentice on Ambroise N’Koh’s farm.
Yavo and his son, farmers and members of the RASSO Cooperative, 2023 — Yavo and his son work their small cocoa farm in Armanikro, Divo, struggling against poverty despite Côte d’Ivoire massive share of the world’s cocoa market. Farmers like them typically earn less than $2 a day.
Shifting Crops for Survival, Guiglo, 2023 — A family of former cocoa farmers in Guiglo, Côte d’Ivoire, now cultivates rubber because of its higher yields and more stable income.
Armanikro, 2023, Guiglo — Young men from cocoa-farming families, who would rather seek office jobs in the city, face the challenge of continuing their family’s agricultural traditions. They remain on the land, navigating the difficult realities of sustaining cocoa farming.

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