According to the 2014 Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI), many countries in central and western Africa are experiencing a stagnation or decline in the transformation of their market economies. In Guinea, which is largely reliant on fishing and agriculture to feed and employ the nation, the promise of democratization has been hampered by ethnic tensions and the postponement of fair elections.
But that is not stifling initiative. Almost ten years ago, farmers from Samaya, west of the capital Conakry, got together to set up a cooperative. Today the organization has more than 200 members and counting. Forty new producers have applied to join since the start of the year, and the cooperative is now offering practical training on its plantations.