Arabfields, Nadia Fatima Zahra, Arabfields, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire — Côte d’Ivoire is turning to an unusual agricultural resource as it looks to expand its renewable energy options: rubber tree seeds that were once largely left unused in plantations.

The initiative is gaining momentum in 2026 as the country’s rubber sector explores ways to generate additional income for farmers while creating a new source of raw material for biofuel production. The project is being developed with Italian energy group Eni and the Federation of Rubber Producers of Côte d’Ivoire, known as FPH-CI.

For thousands of farmers, the idea is simple but potentially significant. Instead of allowing the seeds that fall naturally from rubber trees to remain on the ground, producers can collect and sell them. What was previously treated as agricultural waste is increasingly becoming a source of additional revenue.

Côte d’Ivoire is already Africa’s leading producer of natural rubber and ranks among the world’s largest producers. The country produced about 1.5 million tonnes of latex in 2023, representing roughly 9 percent of global output. Behind those figures is a vast network of plantations and more than 300,000 families involved in rubber production.

The scale of the opportunity has become clearer in 2026. The FPH-CI estimates that the country could eventually mobilize more than 60,000 tonnes of rubber seeds annually. That volume would provide a substantial feedstock base for the production of vegetable oil, which can then be converted into biofuels and other energy products.

The project has already moved beyond the experimental stage. Eni and its partners have been developing the collection and processing chain since 2023, while payments to cooperatives have demonstrated that the model can generate a direct economic return for producers. In the early stages, around 1,500 tonnes of seeds generated more than 100 million CFA francs in payments to participating cooperatives.

For a farmer, the appeal is not difficult to understand. The rubber tree continues to provide its main source of income through latex, while the seeds can now offer a second revenue stream without requiring additional farmland. That could become increasingly valuable as producers face rising production costs and pressure to improve the profitability of existing plantations.

The authorities and industry partners are also looking beyond the immediate financial benefit. Turning rubber seeds into biofuel fits into a broader effort to make greater use of agricultural by-products while reducing dependence on conventional fossil fuels. Because the seeds are not a food crop, their use for energy does not directly compete with food production.

The numbers suggest that the sector could expand considerably if collection rates improve. If the potential supply of more than 60,000 tonnes of seeds is progressively captured, Côte d’Ivoire could build a sizeable domestic feedstock industry over the coming years. The next stage will depend on the ability to establish reliable collection networks, processing facilities and commercial outlets for the resulting biofuels.

The government also has a potential domestic market in public transport. Earlier development work envisaged biodiesel being used, initially, to supply buses operated by SOTRA in Abidjan. If industrial production reaches sufficient scale, rubber-seed biofuel could therefore move from an agricultural experiment into a practical component of the country’s urban energy system.

There are still challenges. Collecting seeds across thousands of plantations requires organization, transport and predictable prices. Processing capacity must also grow in line with supplies. For farmers, the new market will only remain attractive if payments are regular and the cost of gathering and transporting the seeds does not outweigh the additional income.

Still, the direction is increasingly clear. Côte d’Ivoire is no longer looking at rubber only as a source of natural rubber. With production already at a major scale and a potential annual supply of more than 60,000 tonnes of seeds, the country has the ingredients for a new agricultural value chain.

If investment and collection infrastructure continue to expand at the current pace, rubber seeds could become a meaningful feedstock for Côte d’Ivoire’s biofuel ambitions over the next several years. What once fell unnoticed beneath the trees may increasingly find its way into the country’s energy economy.