Côte d’Ivoire has taken groundbreaking steps towards improving the livelihoods of approximately 13,500 banana workers through an historic agreement on living wages. Senior representatives from four major banana-producing companies and 12 trade unions agreed to co-construct the country’s first-ever national collective bargaining framework. This effort, culminating in a roadmap for a sector-wide Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by September 2026, marks a significant milestone in the banana export industry.
These achievements are the result of a three-year programme coordinated by Banana Link, funded by IDH and six European retailers: Tesco, Carrefour, Lidl France, Marks and Spencer, Aldi Nord, and Morrisons. The initiative not only lays the foundation for closing living wage gaps but also sets a replicable model for neighbouring countries like Ghana and Cameroon. To understand the journey and its impact, IDH interviewed four key stakeholders involved in the project.
Building the Framework for Living Wages
Banana Link’s work with unions in Côte d’Ivoire has significantly advanced the living wage agenda. The initiative has successfully established a national collective bargaining framework aimed at addressing wage gaps in the banana sector. This process, initiated through workshops and collaboration with unions, producers, and researchers, culminated in a roadmap for a sector-wide collective bargaining agreement by 2026.
How Producers View Living Wages
Producers see living wages as both a challenge and an opportunity. While global competition – especially from Latin America – imposes economic pressures, African producers recognise the value of aligning with international standards and ensuring fair treatment of workers. The framework in Côte d’Ivoire, supported by Afruibana and major producers, reflects a commitment to fair practices. Tools like the IDH Salary Matrix have enabled transparency and provided a roadmap for sustainable living wages. The long-term vision, shared by producers, is one where social dialogue and fair pricing practices converge to create a more equitable and competitive industry.
Key Elements for Long-Term Sustainability
The sustainability of the living wage framework depends on three crucial factors:
1. Fair Pricing Models: Retailers must commit to paying prices that reflect the true cost of sustainable production. Six major European retailers, including Tesco, have endorsed this principle and support collective bargaining frameworks.
2. Institutional Support: Robust frameworks, like those established in Côte d’Ivoire, ensure wage-setting mechanisms are policy-driven and grounded in research.
3. Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: Effective partnerships among producers, unions, retailers, and international organisations foster shared responsibility and mutual accountability.
Lessons from Success: Building Trust and Shared Goals
The success of the Côte d’Ivoire initiative hinged on three core factors:
1. Trust and Transparency: Open dialogue among employers, unions, and the government, facilitated by credible organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), created a neutral platform for discussions. As a result, all parties felt heard and respected, which was crucial in overcoming initial scepticism.
2. Shared Objectives: Alignment of interest played a critical role. Balancing stakeholder needs ensured living wages for workers, stable partnerships for producers, and competitively priced, high-quality supply chains for retailers.
3. External Validation: Support from international partners like IDH and GIZ added legitimacy, demonstrating that the initiative was part of a broader movement for sustainable trade practices.
Claudelle Kouadio
General Secretary of FETBACI
Our main concern is ensuring that all stakeholders – distributors, buyers, and transporters – share responsibility for making decent wages a reality. It cannot rely on just one party. Our guiding principle is to provide a decent life for workers and their families, ensuring fairness and transparency without weakening any part of the supply chain.
Unforeseen Positive Outcomes
Alistair Smith, International Coordinator, Banana Link highlighted additional results:
A key factor for success was the role of the independent research institute (CIRES) who acted as the interface between the companies and the unions. This team was made up of Ivorian nationals, and was the single most important ingredient which helped us get to where we got to.
The empowerment of trade unions on issues such as understanding international value chains, power dynamics, leverage points, and diplomatic discourse – along with their role in representing workers’ need – has been transformative. With a critical mass of workers now informed about the sector and its global context, this progress toward a national collective bargaining agreement feels irreversible. Claudelle Kouadio added, ‘the role of unions in this program has been crucial because they serve as the voice of the workers. With over 1,000 workers, it’s not possible to communicate with everyone directly. So, as representatives, this was our way of addressing workers’ concerns.’
Further factors included:
1. Trade Union Unification: Ten unions united into the National Banana Workers Union Federation in 2023, growing to 12 by late 2024, creating a unified voice for workers.
2. Employer Collaboration: Two previously competing producer associations joined forces under Afruibana, facilitating collaboration on wage and industry issues.
3. Government Engagement: Côte d’Ivoire’s government committed to reviewing and raising the minimum industrial wage, a historic move that underscores the programme’s impact.
A Model for Regional Replication
Côte d’Ivoire’s living wage framework is now poised for replication in Ghana and Cameroon. With strong backing from UK and European retailers, these countries aim to achieve similar milestones within equivalent time frames. The empowerment of trade unions and the establishment of multi-stakeholder collaborations have created a foundation for sustainable and equitable wage practices across Africa.
Alistair summarised:
“The empowerment of unions and the collaboration among stakeholders have created irreversible progress. This model can now be swiftly adapted in other regions, ensuring fair wages and sustainable practices for banana workers across the continent.”
Agathe Caublot, Human Rights Manager, Tesco, said, “Tesco supported the project as a locally owned initiative to find sustainable ways to improve remuneration. The capacity building provided to worker representatives strengthened industry relationships, which is key to sustainable wage improvements. The verified wage data collected during the project assured Tesco of its accuracy and provided a clear opportunity to contribute meaningfully to wage issues in the banana sector. This was our opportunity to step in, with strong assurance that the process was being managed appropriately, with consultation and involvement from workers”.
Marianne Sabel
CSR Manager, Carrefour
Carrefour is delighted to have supported the Banana Link initiative in Cote d'Ivoire since 2020 alongside the producers, civil society and other retailers, a successful project enabling fairer remuneration for producers and which has benefited 13500 workers.
Marianne Naudin
CSR Purchasing Project Manager, Lidl France
Lidl France chose to support this Banana Link project because it has been able to generate leverage in Cote d'Ivoire to secure sector-wide commitments from all the major relevant stakeholders on the ground. We are convinced that this method will enable the achievement of living wages in the Ivorian banana sector that are sustainable over time
Living Wage Action Guide
To explore how you can take action with your supply chain partners to close living wage gaps, please check the Living Wage Action Guide. In this free, online resource you can find more case studies, inspiring examples and practical tips.
