Welcome to the 3rd edition of agrofood, plastprintpack & Afrik’Embal 2026 in Abidjan

 (Heidelberg / Abidjan) Back for its 3rd edition in Côte d‘Ivoire, agrofood, plastprintpack & Afrik’Embal 2026 return to Abidjan, spotlighting the region’s thriving industry. agrofood & plastprintpack are organised by fairtrade Messe.

Building on their 2024 success, fairtrade and the Association of Packaging Professionals in Côte d‘Ivoire (APECI) are once again joining forces. APECI will organise the Afrik‘Embal Exhibition, running concurrently with agrofood & plastprintpack West Africa 2026, to create strong synergy for both exhibitors and visitors.

Taking place in the state-of-the-art Abidjan Parc des Expositions from 08 to 10 October 2026, thousands of professionals from Côte d‘Ivoire and across the region are expected to attend this bi-annual event.

A trusted platform gaining strong support from local and global institutions

With backing from the following respected organisations – including international chambers, government

ministries, trade agencies, and industry associations – the 2026 event reinforces its position as one of

West Africa’s leading business and innovation hubs for the agrofood and plastprintpack sectors.

• Ministry of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production
• Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Côte d'Ivoire
• APECI - Association of Packaging Professionals in Côte d'Ivoire
• Embassies of Austria, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands and Türkiye
• Advantage Austria
• AHK - Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Côte d'Ivoire
• APO Africa Packaging Organisation
• BELUCI - Chambre de commerce belge et luxembourgeoise de Côte d'Ivoire
• Business France
• CEPICI - Investment Promotion Centre of Côte d'Ivoire
• FedA-CI
• ITA - Italian Trade Agency

Here is what makes the 2026 event stand out

• Thousands of targeted business discussions and an increasing international reach, as the event continues to develop into a regional hub
• Global participation: Exhibitors from around the globe presenting tailored products and solutions for the Ivorian and West African markets
• Insightful conference sessions: In 2024, the conference featured 12 sessions with 50 speakers. Building on this success, the 2026 program promises even more valuable industry insights and exceptional networking opportunities.

Côte d‘Ivoire: A rising hub for agriculture, food processing and food trade

• Agricultural powerhouse Agriculture remains central to the economy, accounting for about 85% of exports. Côte d‘Ivoire is the world’s largest cocoa producer, with cocoa alone making up one-third of export value. The country is also a major exporter of palm oil, coffee, cashews and rubber, while domestic food production is growing to serve regional markets. Demand for seeds, animal feed, fertilisers and pesticides continues to rise. more

• Booming food & beverage industry Côte d‘Ivoire’s investments in food & beverage technology amount to € 89 million in 2024. As such, Côte d'Ivoire is the second-largest investor in food and packaging technology in West Africa, after Nigeria. (VDMA) more

• West Africa’s leading food trade market With a trade volume of USD 11.3 billion, Côte d'Ivoire is the largest food trader in West Africa, ahead of Nigeria with USD 8.3 billion. According to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Côte d'Ivoire imported food worth USD 3.2 billion and exported food worth USD 8.1 billion in 2023. more

Food Expo & HoReCa Expo Côte d’Ivoire co-located in 2026

Organised by ATLM Expo, the second edition of Food Expo & HoReCa Expo will be co-located

with agrofood West Africa 2026.

Strong growth in plastprintpack sectors

• Plastic raw materials: Côte d'Ivoire’s imports of increased by 8% annually, from 245 kt in 2018 to 388 kt in 2024. (EUROMAP)

• Plastics technology: Ivorian imports of plastics technology grew from €31 million in 2019 to €76 million in 2024, an increase of 19.6% annually. As such, Côte d'Ivoire represents the second largest investor in plastics technology in West Africa after Nigeria.

• Printing and paper technology: Ivorian imports made up for €13 million in 2024 whereas West African imports of printing and paper processing technology stood at €89 million in the same year, with Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal being the major buyers.

Review 2024

The 2024 event was opened with great fanfare by the Minister of State, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production, H.E. Mr Kobenan Adjoumani while 78 exhibitors from 17 countries presenting customised solutions for the Ivorian and West African markets. 

Earlier, representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, as well as the ambassadors and economic attachés from Germany and Italy and the Association Ivoirienne de l'Emballage APECI had underlined their commitment to professional cooperation in their respective speeches.

For full details, please see the Post Show Report

For more information:

www.agrofood-westafrica.com

www.ppp-westafrica.com

Characters (incl. blanks): 5,071

About the organisers

About fairtrade Messe and APECI

fairtrade Messe has been at the forefront of international trade fair organisation since 1991. Since 2008, fairtrade has been leading the agrofood & plastprintpack trade fair series in Africa, covering Algeria since 2008, Ghana since 2013, Nigeria since 2015, Ethiopia since 2017 and Côte d'Ivoire since 2018.

The Association des Professionnels de l'Emballage en Côte d'Ivoire APECI is an association of Ivorian packaging professionals and experts. Having obtained government approval in July 2022, APECI further strengthened its international presence by joining the renowned World Packaging Organisation (WPO) in October 2022. The association's activities focus on 3 major areas, training and upgrading, market research and marketing and promotion of packaging.