Director-General of Thailand International Cooperation Agency Visits Côte d’Ivoire to Advance Thailand–Africa Sustainable Agricultural Cooperation

From 24-27 February 2026, Mr. Chulvat Narinthrangura, Director-General of the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), led a Thai delegation comprising officials from TICA, the Royal Thai Embassy in Dakar, and agricultural experts from Kasetsart University on an official visit to the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. The visit aimed to advance Thailand-Africa development cooperation and to promote a pilot initiative on sustainable agricultural technology development, including the exploration of potential sites for establishing an integrated farming demonstration plot based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP). The initiative forms part of Thailand's broader engagement with Africa under the Thailand-Africa Initiative (TAI) and the Thailand-Africa Development Forum (TADF), which seek to strengthen partnerships with African countries in areas such as food security, sustainable agriculture, technology transfer, and human resource development. Through these frameworks, Thailand aims to share its development experiences and best practices with African partners under the spirit of South-South cooperation.

During the visit, the Director-General held consultations with relevant Ivorian agencies, including representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production. The discussions were co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Evariste Koffi Yapi, Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs of Côte d'Ivoire. Both sides explored practical avenues for cooperation, including the establishment of an integrated farming demonstration plot, the transfer of agricultural technologies, the introduction of Thai small-scale farm machinery suitable for smallholder farmers, and the provision of technical training programmes for agricultural practitioners.

The Thai delegation also met with senior executives of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), a leading international research organization dedicated to improving rice production and strengthening food security across Africa. Discussions were held with senior management and researchers at AfricaRice headquarters in Abidjan, followed by a visit to the AfricaRice research station in M'bé. The discussions explored potential collaboration in research and development, rice technology transfer, and the possible establishment of a learning center that would demonstrate sustainable farming approaches integrating the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy with existing African agricultural systems.

In addition, the Director-General met with Mr. Adrien Haye, Country Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Côte d'Ivoire. AFD is a key development finance institution supporting sustainable development initiatives in the country. Both sides exchanged views on potential avenues to promote trilateral cooperation involving Thailand, Côte d'Ivoire, and international development partners in advancing sustainable agriculture and rural development. The Thai delegation further held consultations with Dr. Kouakou Amani Michel, Deputy Director-General, and researchers from the National Center for Agronomic Research (CNRA), a leading agricultural research institution in Côte d'Ivoire responsible for advancing agricultural innovation and technology development. Discussions focused on potential joint research initiatives, agricultural technology development, and strengthening knowledge transfer to farmers and relevant stakeholders.

The visit reflects the growing partnership between Thailand and Côte d'Ivoire in advancing practical and sustainable development cooperation. It also underscores Thailand's commitment to supporting food security and sustainable agricultural development in Africa through knowledge sharing, technical cooperation, and collaborative partnerships under the framework of South-South cooperation.