The official opening ceremony of the International Food Processing & Packaging Fair took place today, 8th October 2026, at the Abidjan Exhibition Park. The event brings together, under one platform, the fairs West Africa Agrofood and West Africa PlastPrintPack (organized by the German company FairTrade), Côte d’Ivoire FoodExpo and Côte d’Ivoire HoReCaExpo (organized by the Turkish company ATLM Expo), as well as Afrik’Embal, promoted by the Ivorian association APECI.
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts of Côte d’Ivoire, Ibrahim Kalil Konaté, representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture and of Animal and Fishery Resources, the FAO, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Côte d’Ivoire, and the Ambassadors of Germany, Italy and Türkiye.
Italy took part with an official Pavilion set up by ITA – Italian Trade Agency, in collaboration with UCIMA (Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association), bringing together more than twenty Italian companies active in the packaging and processing technologies sector and interested in developing new opportunities in the dynamic Ivorian market and, more broadly, in West Africa. A delegation from CISAO, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Côte d’Ivoire, was also present.
In his remarks, Minister Konaté highlighted the strategic importance of the packaging sector, given its transversal nature and central role in the agri‑food and manufacturing value chains. Côte d’Ivoire aims to strengthen the local transformation of raw materials, increasing the value added generated in the country through investments in innovation, research and development. This strategy seeks to reduce dependence on imported machinery and technologies, fostering the emergence of a competitive and sustainable industrial ecosystem capable of attracting foreign investment and positioning Abidjan as a future regional hub.
Particular attention was also given to sustainability, with the objective of promoting recycling practices and circular‑economy solutions in the packaging sector.
In her official address, the Ambassador of Italy underlined the importance of the sector for the Italian industrial system: Italy is currently the second‑largest global producer of packaging and processing machinery, with a 2025 turnover of nearly €10.5 billion, of which around 80% destined for export. Italian technologies serve major industrial sectors – food and beverage, pharmaceutical, biomedical and cosmetics – and are globally recognised for their quality, reliability and innovation.
Italy’s presence in Abidjan confirms its commitment to being a stable, long‑term partner for Côte d’Ivoire’s industrial development, supporting local companies not only through the supply of machinery, but also through training, technical assistance and the strengthening of production capacities.
