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Plantain is an essential food in West and Central Africa, with production exceeding 9 million tons per year. The Centre National de Spécialisation (CNS) Banane plantain in Côte d'Ivoire has developed plantain flour. The center has also supported initiatives to promote the production and use of plantain flour, encouraging farmers to cultivate varieties suitable for processing into flour by setting up processing units, and promoting the use of plantain flour in human nutrition.

Plantain flour offers an interesting alternative for valorizing production surpluses, reducing post-harvest losses and diversifying products derived from plantain. It is obtained from the drying and grinding of unripe green plantains, producing a powder similar to other types of flour. This flour can be used in a variety of recipes, including cakes, pancakes, sauces and deep-frying appliances. In addition to its culinary applications, plantain flour helps to reduce food waste and make plantain production more profitable. It represents a local and healthy alternative, in line with current food consumption trends focused on health and the search for gluten-free products.

Agathe BANKOLÉ, a pastry chef in Porto-Novo, Benin, now uses only plantain flour to replace wheat flour. According to her, "plantain flour can be used to make cakes and lots of other things".

CORAF has initiated projects to promote plantain flour in West Africa. These initiatives have helped build the capacity of banana industry players, improve techniques for producing and processing bananas into flour, and raise consumer awareness of the nutritional benefits of banana flour. 

"Before the war in Ukraine, I produced 80Kg per month. Now, because of the war, wheat has become expensive and scarce, so I produce up to 150Kg a month. We have the plantain banana at our disposal, on our territory, we can produce it" affirms Josiane Hodonou, a plantain flour producer in Benin. She now has a dehydrator and has increased her production.

Plantain flour can be substituted for wheat flour up to 75% by weight, thanks to its high starch content, which makes it denser and more absorbent. A nutritional analysis revealed that green banana flour is rich in macronutrients, notably starch and fiber, although its vitamin C content decreases during the dehydration process. Plantain flour has a shelf life of 6 months, offering a sustainable solution for adding value to this product. Plantain flour is an agricultural technology that diversifies the use of plantains, while contributing to food security and enhancing the value of local produce.