Côte d’Ivoire signs AI deal with TerraKora to monitor forests, cocoa and carbon 🌳🇨🇮

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On 2 October 2026, Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition signed a two-year framework agreement with Ivorian company TerraKora AI. The government says the deal will modernize how the country monitors its ecosystems and help it meet growing demands for agricultural traceability and carbon financing. The plan combines satellite data, field observations and artificial intelligence to give authorities a sharper picture of the national territory.

Satellite data to track how forests are changing 🛰️

In practice, the system pairs images captured from space with ground surveys and AI-based processing. It is expected to map vegetation, measure reforested areas and estimate how much carbon forests absorb and store.

The goal is to move from occasional spot checks to more regular, more precise monitoring. Authorities say up-to-date data would help them judge how forest cover is changing and guide environmental protection decisions.

The upgrade comes against a worrying backdrop. Côte d’Ivoire has lost much of its forest over the past decades. Forest cover, which official data put above 20% of the territory in the 1960s, had fallen to 9.2% by 2021, according to the national forest and wildlife inventory. The country has set a target of at least 20% by 2030. Hitting it will require precise knowledge of which forests to protect and which areas to restore.

Why international markets are watching 🌱

Beyond protecting forests, the technology is also meant to answer new demands from international trade. Producers and exporters now have to provide precise information on where farm products come from, notably cocoa, coffee and rubber. Côte d’Ivoire is one of the world’s largest cocoa producers.

The pressure comes from the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), due to apply on 30 December 2026 to large and medium-sized companies, after two postponements. Importers of the covered goods will have to show that what they buy does not come from recently deforested land. Geolocating farms therefore becomes essential to trace harvests and keep Ivorian products on the European market.

For local farming industries, reliable data is a major economic issue. By making it easier to collect and check information on plots, the digital system could help them meet international buyers’ requirements.

AI to sharpen carbon tracking and attract funding 🌍

The data collected is also meant to strengthen the national carbon registry. By estimating more precisely how much carbon trees capture, authorities should be better able to measure the results of forest conservation and restoration efforts.

That verification capacity also matters for funding climate projects. Reliable, certified data can boost the credibility of environmental initiatives with investors and make it easier to tap international climate finance.

TerraKora AI says it wants to help build a sovereign database that public authorities can rely on for decision-making. Greater control over this information is expected to help Côte d’Ivoire keep better track of its natural resources.

Still, success will also depend on whether farmers can actually use the tools. Folding them into farming practices should protect ecosystems and secure market access without piling more paperwork onto rural producers.

Can AI and satellite data really help fight deforestation? Tell us what you think in the comments. 🌳👇