Soro Yafolo Sita | April 24, 2026
News Brief
In Sokala-Sobara, northern Côte d’Ivoire, women of the Weplé-wegno association are transforming groundnuts and cassava waste into eco-friendly charcoal, reducing pressure on surrounding forests. Led by president Dongui Touré, the 300-member group gathers twice weekly to produce fuel using a cassava starch binder. Introduced in 2022 with support from a local researcher, the initiative has replaced wood charcoal in many households. Members say the product is cleaner, cheaper, and provides steady income.
It’s morning in Sokala-Sobara, Cote d’Ivoire, and Dongui Touré is sitting under a shelter in the village square. This is an agricultural community located 15 km from Dabakala, in northern Côte d’Ivoire. Surrounded by other women, Ms. Touré is planning the week’s activities for the women’s association Weplé-wegno, which means “together we will succeed.” They produce eco-friendly charcoal made from groundnuts and cassava starch. Ms. Touré says, “Who would have thought our salvation would come from groundnuts? Today, we no longer use charcoal made from wood.”
Ms. Touré is the president of the Weplé-wegno association, which has 300 members. She explains that for a long time, the women in the village did not know what to do with groundnut shells and cassava waste, which would pile up in public areas after harvests. Today, they transform these agricultural residues into eco-friendly charcoal. Ms. Touré says, “Thanks to this charcoal, we no longer cut forest wood for our needs.”
The women’s groups activities also help clean up the village and protect family health. Ms. Touré recalls that before, village spaces were filled with groundnuts and agricultural residues. Now, after the harvests, the women collect groundnuts and cassava pulp from producers for free. They meet twice a week to transform these agricultural residues into eco-friendly charcoal. Ms. Touré explains that the charcoal is made by combining cassava starch, extracted from cassava pulp, with groundnuts. First, the women carbonize the groundnuts by heating them in a low-oxygen environment, then pound them into a fine powder. They extract the starch by steaming cassava. Next, they mix the powdered shells with the starch and leave the mixture to ferment for one day. The fermented starch acts as a natural binder when they knead the fresh paste and shape it into balls, which are then dried in the sun.
Ms. Touré says that the idea for eco-friendly charcoal came from a native of the village. Bazoumana Djandé Samuel Ouattara, a young research lecturer at Péléforo Gon Coulibaly University in Korhogo, with financial support from the University of Sherbrooke in Canada.
He approached the women’s association in his village to introduce eco-friendly charcoal production in 2022. Mr. Ouattara explains that at first, the women were hesitant, as they were used to cutting wood from the forest to make charcoal. But the idea that they would be the main actors in this project convinced them.
Mr. Ouattara notes that Côte d’Ivoire has lost nearly 90% of its forest over the past 60 years. He adds that drought and desertification now affect 60% of the territory. He initiated this activity to protect the environment and help fight deforestation. Mr. Ouattara says that the use of eco-friendly charcoal has helped reduce wood cutting in local forests. He reports that, as a result, the village forests have begun to recover.
Today, the women of Weplé-wegno have mastered the production of charcoal, which they now also use in their own homes. Ms. Touré says this is a valuable saving for their household budgets. She adds that the women sell surplus charcoal at 3,000 CFA ($5.27 US) per kilogram. Each woman can earn 5,000 CFA ($9 US) per week.
Adjata Ouattara, a resident of Sokala-Sobara and member of the Weplé-wegno association, speaks to the benefits of this new charcoal, saying it produces less smoke and is cheaper than wood charcoal. She adds, “Since we discovered it, we no longer use wood charcoal.”
The women’s initiative has also impressed Marc Kouadio, the sub-prefect of Sokala-Sobara. He appreciates this project, which generates jobs, cleans up the village, and helps restore the forest. He hopes this experience can be shared with women in other communities.The women of Weplé-wegno are proud of their new activity. Ms. Touré concludes, “With this project, the village’s development is already taking shape, and our children’s future looks promising.”
