Issiaka NGuessan | August 14, 2026
News Brief
Farmers in northern Cote d'Ivoire are turning to a new root vegetable to increase nutrition – particularly in children. Wodjoho Silué prepares porridge for her 18-month-old made from orange-fleshed sweet potato, which is rich in beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for growth, eyesight, and a good immune system. Mrs. Silué says, “The child who cried constantly changed as soon as this new food was introduced. He gained weight, cried less, and the maternity clinic says he is growing well." She adds, "This variety, which we did not know before, has greatly benefited my child.”
Early one morning after the rain, mist rises as the first rays of sunlight appear on the horizon. Wodjoho Silué prepares orange-fleshed sweet potato porridge for her child. In Ferkessédougou, northern Côte d’Ivoire, women like Ms. Silué are using this root vegetable to nourish their young children. Her son, Tchélogo Silué, is 18 months old.
Ms. Silué says she started using orange-fleshed sweet potato in her child’s diet when he was six months old, preparing it as porridge. She learned about orange-fleshed sweet potato from awareness campaigns led by the Gnompinin Federation to improve child nutrition.
Before changing his diet, Ms. Silué’s son cried constantly, suffered from anemia, and was underweight. She made frequent trips to the health centre before seeking advice from Soro Tiémongo, who oversees the production of enriched flour at the Gnompinin Federation. At the time, Ms. Silué’s diet consisted mainly of maize porridge with sauces made from local leafy vegetables and very little animal protein, making it difficult for her to produce enough breast milk.
Ms. Tiémongo says, “We immediately recommended orange-fleshed sweet potato flour, which we discovered through the women of Guiembé. It worked. The child regained his appetite and started gaining weight.”
While white- and yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes have long been grown in the region, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes were largely unknown. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, which is needed for good growth, healthy vision, and a strong immune system. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes offer greater nutritional value than many staple crops. The Gnompinin Federation raised awareness of these benefits while promoting locally grown foods.
Ms. Silué says, “I had never heard of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. Like most women in Ferkessédougou, I learned about them through the federation’s awareness campaign. They are very easy to cook, and children enjoy their naturally sweet taste.”
She says the change in her son’s health was noticeable after introducing the new food.
She says, “The child who cried constantly changed as soon as this new food was introduced. He gained weight, cried less, and the maternity clinic says he is growing well. Most importantly, he no longer suffers from anemia. This variety, which we did not know before, has greatly benefited my child.”
Although orange-fleshed sweet potatoes do not contain iron, they are rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, which help the body absorb and use nutrients from other foods. As part of a balanced diet, orange-fleshed sweet potato can contribute to improved nutrition and help reduce the risk of iron-deficiency anemia.
Easy to prepare and affordable, the crop is now used by women across northern Côte d’Ivoire. It is prepared as porridge, processed into flour, and incorporated into a variety of local dishes.
In the municipality of Guiembé, Fatou Dagnogo encourages women from the Wowediemin agricultural organization to grow orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. The organization brings together 15 women’s associations that produce vegetables, rice, maize, and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.
Ms. Dagnogo says the women grow orange-fleshed sweet potatoes because they are highly nutritious. With support from Helen Keller International, the organization received planting vines to help expand cultivation and improve nutrition, particularly for children.
The women also use the crop to prepare a variety of traditional foods. Ms. Dagnogo says, “We use these sweet potatoes to prepare roasted dishes, stews, and flour that can be used in traditional recipes.”
Despite growing demand for orange-fleshed sweet potato, producers want to strengthen their knowledge of cultivation, storage, and processing techniques to increase production. Ms. Tiémongo says the next step for her is to grow the crop locally, produce their own planting vines, and improve storage so more families can access it.