Sector group
Agriculture and fisheries
Agriculture, livestock and fisheries employ close to three in ten workers but account for less than 7% of gross domestic product (GDP). Gabon imports a large share of its food and has made food sovereignty and the industrialisation of the tuna value chain priorities of the National Development Plan for the Transition (PNDT) 2024-2026.
- Employment in agriculture (modelled ILO estimate)
- 28.9% of total employment
- Food imports (PNDT estimate)
- 450billion CFA francs
- Available arable land
- 5.2million hectares
Detailed sources in the key figures below.
Key figures
Key figures for agriculture and fisheries
Employment in agriculture (modelled ILO estimate)
28.9 % of total employment
2025
Food imports (PNDT estimate)
450 billion CFA francs
2022
Available arable land
5.2 million hectares
PNDT 2024-2026
Agricultural land
8.4 % of land area
2023
Exclusive economic zone
213,000 km²
PNDT 2024-2026
Annual fish production
40,000 tonnes approx.
depuis 2011
Exploitable fisheries potential
160,000 tonnes
PNDT 2024-2026
Marine protected areas
26.2 % of the EEZ
2017
Reference tuna tonnage in the EU agreement (2021-2026 protocol)
32,000 tonnes per year
2021-2026
Reference series
Agriculture, forestry and fishing value added
6.8 % of GDP
2025
Source: World Bank
15.7 %
2023
Source: World Bank
Total fisheries production
30,243 t
2024
Source: World Bank
Locations
- Scale
- Nationwide
Source: OCHA / Institut national de cartographie du Gabon (CC BY-IGO)
Trends
A growing sector still far from meeting demand
According to World Bank data, value added from agriculture, forestry and fishing rose from 5.4% of GDP in 2018 to 6.6% in 2020 and then held between 6.5% and 6.8% over 2021-2025. Agriculture remains a major employer: the modelled estimate of the International Labour Organization (ILO) puts its share of total employment at 30.3% in 2020 and 28.9% in 2025.
The PNDT 2024-2026 states that the sector has grown by about 7% a year on average since 2016, without reducing dependence on imports, estimated at 450 billion CFA francs in 2022. A 2025 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), quoted by the news site Insidenews241, puts cumulative food imports for 2021 to 2023 at 542.4 billion CFA francs, mainly cereals, dairy products, vegetable oils, meat and sugar. Food has accounted for between 14% and 17% of merchandise imports since 2018 (15.7% in 2023).
Successive programmes with mixed results
Launched in the mid 2010s and run by the Gabonese agricultural processing and rural development company (SOTRADER), the GRAINE programme aimed to organise farmers into cooperatives. According to Gabonmediatime, a review published in 2021 reported 109 active cooperatives out of 843 created and around 1,200 jobs. The PNDT plans to continue the seed initiatives that came out of this programme.
On 30 May 2025 the Council of Ministers announced a ban on broiler chicken imports from 1 January 2027 to support the national poultry industry. In September 2026, following a challenge by the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO), the government said it would review how the measure is applied; Gabonmediatime mentions more gradual options (tariffs, temporary quotas, sanitary requirements).
Fisheries: from resource access to local processing
National fish production has hovered around 40,000 tonnes a year since 2011, against an exploitable potential estimated at 160,000 tonnes, and the PNDT points to overfishing of some grounds and illegal fishing. The protocol signed on 29 June 2021 with the European Union (EU) opened Gabonese waters to European tuna vessels for five years, with a reference tonnage of 32,000 tonnes a year. According to Sika Finance, the protocol expired at the end of June 2026 and was not renewed: the authorities chose to favour local tuna processing over access fees. The Owendo plant, taken over by IB Fish in April 2024, carries this ambition; as part of its relaunch, the Directorate General of Fisheries and the National Investment Promotion Agency estimated the national potential at 15,000 tonnes of tuna and 12,000 tonnes of sardines a year.
In August 2023 Gabon completed a 500 million dollar debt conversion for marine conservation, expected to generate 163 million dollars for ocean protection over fifteen years, in exchange for commitments to extend marine protected areas to 30% of its waters and to step up action against illegal fishing.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing value added
Agriculture, forestry and fishing value added (Gabon) went from 32.2 % of GDP in 1960 to 6.8 % of GDP in 2025. The highest value was reached in 1963 (44.1 % of GDP).
| Period | Agriculture, forestry and fishing value added (% of GDP) |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 32.2 |
| 1961 | 35.2 |
| 1962 | 35.9 |
| 1963 | 44.1 |
| 1964 | 30.2 |
| 1965 | 26.3 |
| 1966 | 25.2 |
| 1967 | 24.1 |
| 1968 | 18.4 |
| 1969 | 18.6 |
| 1970 | 18.5 |
| 1971 | 13.8 |
| 1972 | 13.1 |
| 1973 | 11.6 |
| 1974 | 8.2 |
| 1975 | 6.4 |
| 1976 | 5.0 |
| 1977 | 5.5 |
| 1978 | 6.5 |
| 1979 | 7.4 |
| 1980 | 6.8 |
| 1981 | 6.1 |
| 1982 | 6.1 |
| 1983 | 6.5 |
| 1984 | 6.1 |
| 1985 | 6.8 |
| 1986 | 9.2 |
| 1987 | 11.0 |
| 1988 | 10.1 |
| 1989 | 8.7 |
| 1990 | 7.3 |
| 1991 | 7.6 |
| 1992 | 8.3 |
| 1993 | 8.5 |
| 1994 | 9.1 |
| 1995 | 8.0 |
| 1996 | 7.1 |
| 1997 | 7.2 |
| 1998 | 7.0 |
| 1999 | 7.3 |
| 2000 | 6.2 |
| 2001 | 6.1 |
| 2002 | 5.7 |
| 2003 | 6.0 |
| 2004 | 5.5 |
| 2005 | 5.0 |
| 2006 | 4.9 |
| 2007 | 5.0 |
| 2008 | 4.2 |
| 2009 | 5.0 |
| 2010 | 3.9 |
| 2011 | 3.4 |
| 2012 | 3.4 |
| 2013 | 3.3 |
| 2014 | 3.6 |
| 2015 | 4.3 |
| 2016 | 5.0 |
| 2017 | 5.3 |
| 2018 | 5.4 |
| 2019 | 5.6 |
| 2020 | 6.6 |
| 2021 | 6.8 |
| 2022 | 6.5 |
| 2023 | 6.7 |
| 2024 | 6.6 |
| 2025 | 6.8 |
Food share of merchandise imports
Food share of merchandise imports (Gabon) went from 21.7% in 1962 to 15.7% in 2023. The highest value was reached in 2004 (24.2%).
| Period | Food share of merchandise imports (%) |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 21.7 |
| 1963 | 18.3 |
| 1964 | 18.1 |
| 1965 | 16.0 |
| 1966 | 15.3 |
| 1967 | 15.6 |
| 1968 | 16.9 |
| 1969 | 14.4 |
| 1970 | 14.3 |
| 1971 | 14.0 |
| 1975 | 13.1 |
| 1976 | 11.7 |
| 1977 | 11.3 |
| 1978 | 19.4 |
| 1979 | 19.0 |
| 1980 | 19.1 |
| 1981 | 16.0 |
| 1982 | 16.7 |
| 1983 | 18.0 |
| 1993 | 19.4 |
| 1994 | 17.3 |
| 1996 | 19.1 |
| 1997 | 17.6 |
| 1998 | 15.4 |
| 1999 | 19.2 |
| 2000 | 18.2 |
| 2001 | 18.3 |
| 2002 | 15.9 |
| 2003 | 15.0 |
| 2004 | 24.2 |
| 2005 | 19.1 |
| 2006 | 16.6 |
| 2007 | 18.1 |
| 2008 | 17.5 |
| 2009 | 17.1 |
| 2010 | 15.7 |
| 2011 | 18.5 |
| 2012 | 9.3 |
| 2013 | 9.6 |
| 2014 | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 8.9 |
| 2016 | 11.0 |
| 2017 | 14.8 |
| 2018 | 16.4 |
| 2019 | 14.3 |
| 2020 | 16.6 |
| 2021 | 16.9 |
| 2022 | 15.3 |
| 2023 | 15.7 |
Agricultural land (% of land area)
Agricultural land (% of land area) (Gabon) went from 6.5% in 1961 to 8.4% in 2023. The highest value was reached in 2013 (8.4%).
| Period | Agricultural land (% of land area) (%) |
|---|---|
| 1961 | 6.5 |
| 1962 | 6.6 |
| 1963 | 6.6 |
| 1964 | 6.7 |
| 1965 | 6.7 |
| 1966 | 6.8 |
| 1967 | 6.9 |
| 1968 | 6.9 |
| 1969 | 7.0 |
| 1970 | 7.0 |
| 1971 | 7.1 |
| 1972 | 7.2 |
| 1973 | 7.2 |
| 1974 | 7.3 |
| 1975 | 7.4 |
| 1976 | 7.5 |
| 1977 | 7.6 |
| 1978 | 7.7 |
| 1979 | 7.7 |
| 1980 | 7.7 |
| 1981 | 7.7 |
| 1982 | 7.7 |
| 1983 | 7.7 |
| 1984 | 7.7 |
| 1985 | 7.7 |
| 1986 | 7.8 |
| 1987 | 7.8 |
| 1988 | 7.8 |
| 1989 | 7.8 |
| 1990 | 7.8 |
| 1991 | 7.8 |
| 1992 | 7.8 |
| 1993 | 7.9 |
| 1994 | 7.9 |
| 1995 | 7.9 |
| 1996 | 7.9 |
| 1997 | 8.0 |
| 1998 | 8.0 |
| 1999 | 8.0 |
| 2000 | 8.0 |
| 2001 | 8.0 |
| 2002 | 8.1 |
| 2003 | 8.1 |
| 2004 | 8.1 |
| 2005 | 8.1 |
| 2006 | 8.1 |
| 2007 | 8.2 |
| 2008 | 8.2 |
| 2009 | 8.2 |
| 2010 | 8.2 |
| 2011 | 8.3 |
| 2012 | 8.3 |
| 2013 | 8.4 |
| 2014 | 8.4 |
| 2015 | 8.4 |
| 2016 | 8.4 |
| 2017 | 8.4 |
| 2018 | 8.4 |
| 2019 | 8.4 |
| 2020 | 8.4 |
| 2021 | 8.4 |
| 2022 | 8.4 |
| 2023 | 8.4 |
Main players
Main players
| Name | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry in charge of agriculture | Agricultural policy, livestock, rural development | Libreville |
| Ministry in charge of fisheries | Fisheries resource management, licences, fisheries control | Libreville |
| SOTRADER (Gabonese agricultural processing and rural development company) | Support to cooperatives, collection and marketing of farm produce (GRAINE programme) | Libreville and provinces |
| IB Fish | Tuna and sardine processing, fishing vessels | Owendo (Estuaire) |
| Farming cooperatives and artisanal fishers | Food crops (cassava, plantain, taro, yam, maize, groundnut) and coastal and inland fishing | Nationwide |
Source: PNDT 2024-2026; Sika Finance (juin 2026); DG Trésor (France) (opens in a new tab)
Regulatory framework
Agriculture is governed by Law no. 023/2008 of 10 December 2008 on sustainable agricultural development policy, which aims to promote income-generating activities in rural areas, keep rural populations, especially young people, in farming and produce quality food for national, regional and international markets. Adopted the same day, Law no. 022/2008 on the Agricultural Code sets out the instruments supporting agricultural investment: legal certainty, access to credit, grants and tax and customs incentives.
Fisheries and aquaculture are covered by Law no. 015/2005 on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Code. This 113-article law places fishery resources in waters under Gabonese jurisdiction in the public domain of the State: apart from customary use rights, any exploitation requires prior authorisation. It covers marine and inland fishing, licences, monitoring and penalties.
Access for foreign fleets is governed by bilateral agreements. The sustainable fisheries protocol concluded with the EU in 2021 ended in June 2026. Commitments made under the 2023 debt conversion (marine spatial plan, 30% of waters in protected zones) complement this framework.
Reference texts
-
Sustainable agricultural development policy law
Loi n° 023/2008 du 10 décembre 2008 portant politique de développement agricole durable
-
Agricultural code
Loi n° 022/2008 du 10 décembre 2008 portant code agricole en République gabonaise
-
Fisheries and aquaculture code
Loi n° 015/2005 portant code des pêches et de l'aquaculture en République gabonaise
Opportunities
The PNDT 2024-2026 aims to strengthen food sovereignty and develop export value chains. It identifies several areas of potential interest to investors:
- Land and production: mapping of rural farmland, creation of high-productivity agricultural zones (ZAP) and of an agricultural development fund to finance settlement, land preparation, production and processing.
- Seeds: development of an efficient seed system and seed certification, building on the GRAINE programme.
- Processing and marketing: small processing units near production areas, support for small-scale mechanisation, and public procurement for boarding schools, hospitals, barracks and prisons directed towards local produce.
- Poultry: the policy to reduce broiler chicken imports opens up a domestic market, with the terms still to be settled after the WTO challenge.
- Blue economy: industrialisation of the tuna value chain, construction of fishing quays, a slaughterhouse and a large cold store, and landing sites in fishing centres.
Related procedures
Investing in agriculture and fisheries
See the procedures for importing inputs and equipment.
Take the next step
These opportunities translate into concrete formalities: find the ones that apply to your project, or ask the assistant.
Documents
-
National Development Plan for the Transition 2024-2026, PDF format (opens in a new tab)
Ministère de l'Économie et des Participations
-
EU-Gabon sustainable fisheries protocol 2021-2026 (announcement), HTML format (opens in a new tab)
Délégation de l'Union européenne au Gabon
-
Debt conversion for ocean conservation in Gabon, HTML format (opens in a new tab)
The Nature Conservancy
-
Law no. 023/2008 on sustainable agricultural development policy (ECOLEX record), HTML format (opens in a new tab)
ECOLEX
-
Law no. 015/2005 on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Code (ECOLEX record), HTML format (opens in a new tab)
ECOLEX
Sources
16 sources cited
Documents and datasets used for this profile.
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP), Gabon (opens in a new tab)
- Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate), Gabon (opens in a new tab)
- Food imports (% of merchandise imports), Gabon (opens in a new tab)
- Agricultural land (% of land area), Gabon (opens in a new tab)
- Plan national de développement pour la transition (PNDT) 2024-2026, version 3 (opens in a new tab)
- Gabon : plus de 540 milliards FCFA d'importations alimentaires sur 2021-2023 (opens in a new tab)
- Gabon : 1200 emplois et 109 coopératives générés par le programme GRAINE (opens in a new tab)
- Gabon : fin des importations du poulet de chair dès 2027 (opens in a new tab)
- Gabon : le gouvernement contraint de revoir l'interdiction d'importer du poulet de chair (opens in a new tab)
- Le nouveau protocole à l'Accord de partenariat de nouvelle génération dans le domaine de la pêche durable entre le Gabon et l'Union européenne est signé (opens in a new tab)
- Accord de pêche avec l'UE : après 19 ans, le Gabon veut privilégier la transformation locale aux redevances européennes (opens in a new tab)
- The Nature Conservancy announces debt conversion for ocean conservation in Gabon, first ever in mainland Africa (opens in a new tab)
- Le secteur agricole au Gabon (opens in a new tab)
- Loi n°023/2008 du 10 décembre 2008 portant politique de développement agricole durable (opens in a new tab)
- Loi n° 015/2005 portant Code des pêches et de l'aquaculture en République gabonaise (opens in a new tab)
- World Bank (opens in a new tab) Agriculture, forestry and fishing value added, Food share of merchandise imports, Agricultural land (% of land area), Total fisheries production, Cereal production
