Jeunes Pousses

Activating the next generation of agri-entrepreneurs in Côte d'Ivoire

 

We support young engineering entrepreneurs and students to develop their entrepreneurial projects. This program was developed in partnership with the l'Ecole Supérieure d'Agronomie de l'INP-HB in Yamoussoukro, is fully integrated in academic curriculum, and aims to make business creation a true opportunity for socio-economic integration.

Cofounded in 2019 by l'Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement, l'Ecole Supérieure d'Agronomie de l'INP-HB, and the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations.

The challenge

The agricultural industry represents a huge economic opportunity for development in Côte d'Ivoire. It employs half of the population and generates 22% of the GDP of the country. The sector is however dominated by imports and the barrier to entry by local entrepreneurs is high.

Micro and SME are faced with rising globa stakes in modernisation and innovation to access this constnalty changing market in light of changin consumer expectation. In this context, 25% of youth under 25 and 45% of 26-34 year olds are unemployed.

Entrepreneurship and self-employment are a solution to the youth unemployment crisis.

Our ambition

Jeunes Pousses is a food industry incubator. It aims to increase job placement for young engineer-entrepreneurs by giving them the tools they need to understand the industry value chain, as well as participate in the transformation of their national food industry by making it more sustainable and inclusive.

Reinforce emerging vocational entrepreneurs

by making them aware of opportunities and pitfalls of entrepreneurship, as well as the skills needed to be an impact entrepreneur

Support the development of sustainable food industry companies

by proposing training, networking, inspiring visits, practical workshops, academic mentoring, and integration in this food industry incubator by the end of their journey

Develop an inclusive approach

integrating entrepreneurial projects in the food industry value chain to create a lasting link between producers, suppliers, and distributors

 

Our solutions

Training, On-Site Visits and Mentoring

in a custom program co-constructed with IECD, the professors and researchers at ESA, and Edmond de Rothschild Foundations

 

Practical Work in Transformation Workshops

responding to food industry norms featuring polyvalent material allowing small- to medium-scale production

Integrate this Journey in Student Academics

with a final presentation of the project in front of a panel 

Project Integration

the most promising projects go to ESA's food industry incubator to follow their development 

Results

38

student technicians and engineers trained in 2019

8

teams developped and presented their entrepreneurial projects in front of a panel of industry professionals

2

companies created in 2019 

"We have assisted some great ideas and services which are now trying to access a new paradigm: value creation. The only thing to do is continue to support them."

Félix Adje
Research Professor
ESA/INPHB Food Industry Specialization

"This program helped me to find out a lot about myself and to know my talent and potential. I especially developed a vision of my professional prospects in job creation without relying on currently existing companies."

N’Guessan Konate Henri Joel
Student, Agricultural Technique Engineering

"If African countries want to reach their developmenrt goals, youth must be activated when it comes to entrepreneurship."

Sangare Lamine
Student, Agricultural Technique Engineering

The way forward

  • Accelerate the diffusion of the program at ESA by multiplying the number of participants
  • Follow the integration of the program in the curriculum and contribute to the creation of a diploma-granting course 'Agripreneurs' at ESA
  • Create synergies with new activities at the INP-HB campus to develop rural population agriculture from production to transformation