Urban Consumption of Beef in the Ivory Coast

Abstract

This paper examines several factors influencing beef consumption in Abidjan. The Ivorian capital constitutes one of the principal markets for livestock from Western African Sahelian countries, notably Mali and Burkina Faso (Upper Volta). Since 1975, moreover, Ivory Coast has supplemented beef supplies with imports of frozen beef from South America, Argentina in particular. The paper analyses consumer preferences for meats in order to assess the effects of frozen beef imports on the market for Sahelian cattle. A more detailed discussion of these preferences are found in the author's 1983 doctoral disseration (School of Business Administration, The University of Michigan).