The Society for the Development of Forests (SODEFOR), originally Société de Dévelopement des Plantations Forestières, is a State Company created on September 15, 1966 by decree No. 66-422 in order “to study and propose to the Government of Côte d'Ivoire, all measures aimed at ensuring the execution of plans for the development of forest production and related industries, either by direct intervention or by coordinating, directing and controlling the action of the various interested public or private organizations.”

It passed successively from the status of State Company to that of Public Administrative Establishment (EPA) in 1980, then of Public Industrial and Commercial Establishment (EPIC) in 1985.

Following the forest sector management audit, it changed its name by decree No. 93-206 of 3 February 1993 and became a State Corporation again.

Therefore, SODEFOR, under the technical and administrative supervision of the Ministry in charge of Water and Forests and under the supervision of the Ministry in charge of the Budget and the State Portfolio, remains the main instrument for the establishment of the Ivorian government's forest policy.

SODEFOR remains the sole manager of the 234 classified forests in Côte d'Ivoire and is now a State Corporation with one (01) Board of Directors, one (01) General Directorate, five (05) Central Directorates, two (02) Departments, two (02) Departments, nine (09) Departments, nine (09) Management Centers (Regional Directorates) and sixty (60) Forest Management Units