Salimata Toh

As Africa’s leading producer and exporter of dessert bananas (450,000 tonnes in 2019, according to the Ecofin agency), Côte d’Ivoire generates a large amount of unused banana biomass waste. According to one study, each hectare of banana plantation generates around 220 tonnes of waste every year, representing at least twice the weight of the fruit (bananas) sold. Once the bananas have been harvested, the stems and trunks of banana trees are considered waste, as the plant no longer grows and only bears fruit once. Banana waste mainly comprises the stems, leaves, and other inedible parts of the banana plant.