Present at the third edition of the International Exhibition for Agri-Food, Poultry Farming, Packaging, Plastics, and Printing, held from 8 to 10 October 2026 at the Abidjan Exhibition Center, Italy intends to promote its technological expertise and forge partnerships with Ivorian and African industrial players. Italy is strengthening its commercial offensive in the Ivorian agri-food and packaging market.
Indeed, on the occasion of the third edition of the International Exhibition for Agri-Food, Poultry Farming, Packaging, Plastics, and Printing, which opened this 8 October at the Abidjan Exhibition Center, the country has mobilized more than twenty companies to showcase its industrial expertise and explore new business opportunities in Côte d'Ivoire and across West Africa.
Conducted with the support of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), this participation reflects the ambition of Italian companies to take an active role in the development of agri-food and industrial value chains in Côte d'Ivoire. Eighteen companies made the trip with the ITA, in addition to Italian firms already established in the country.
For Italy, the objective is twofold: to introduce its technologies to local operators and to establish commercial partnerships that could foster the long-term presence of its companies in the Ivorian market. 'Italy has the expertise and technical capacity.
It is the world's second-largest producer of food packaging machinery.' 'We therefore believe that this is the right place for us to forge partnerships,' stated Roberta Di Lecce, Ambassador of Italy to Côte d'Ivoire.
Through this strengthened presence, Italian companies aim specifically to promote their equipment, machinery, and industrial solutions in the fields of agri-food, packaging, plastics, and printing. They are targeting both established industrial players and companies looking to modernize their production tools and improve their processing capacities.
The Italian diplomat also expressed the hope of seeing partnerships materialize with Ivorian and, more broadly, African companies. The objective is to contribute to the development trajectory of these sectors while opening new opportunities for Italian manufacturers.
In this perspective, Côte d'Ivoire presents a strategic interest. Thanks to Abidjan's position as a regional economic and commercial hub, foreign companies can consider serving other West African economies from the Ivorian market.
'Abidjan has a role as a regional hub; therefore, it is good for our companies to establish themselves here and make Abidjan a gateway to the markets of West Africa and Africa in general,' emphasized Roberta Di Lecce. Prospects for establishment and partnerships.
Beyond the visibility offered by the exhibition, Italian companies are seeking concrete commercial opportunities. Business meetings should allow them to identify new clients, establish relationships with local industrial players, and evaluate the possibilities for a more sustainable presence in Côte d'Ivoire.
'We are present at this exhibition to meet potential clients and expand our market here in Côte d'Ivoire,' explained Margherita Binacchi, Marketing and Sales Director of an Italian company specializing in the design and manufacture of machinery, as well as industrial installation for the production of soaps and detergents. For his part, Carmelo Manta, a commercial inspector at GAI, an Italian company specializing in beverage packaging machinery, shared his ambition to strengthen the company's clientele around Abidjan, with the prospect of opening a local office there.
These testimonials illustrate the interest shown in the Ivorian market by Italian industrial technology suppliers. For local companies, this presence is an opportunity to discover solutions capable of supporting the modernization of their equipment and the development of their operations.
Italy thus invites Ivorian and African industrial players to come and discover its technologies, particularly in the field of sustainable packaging, which has become a major issue for processing and packaging companies. Local transformation at the heart of the challenges.
The Italian participation comes in a context where Côte d'Ivoire is seeking to accelerate the processing of its raw materials and strengthen the contribution of industry to the national economy. During the opening of the exhibition, the Ivorian Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Crafts, Ibrahim Kalil Kona