A Roadmap for a Resilient Cashew Sector: GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew at the 7th CICC Session in Guinea

On April 24 – April 26, 2025, the 7th Ordinary Session of the Consultative International Cashew Council (CICC) convened in Conakry, Guinea took place, marking a significant milestone for the African cashew industry. Under the leadership of Ghana’s Minister of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, ministers of agriculture and trade and their representatives from twelve cashew-producing nations participated in high-level discussions aimed at advancing the sector.

A central focus of this year's session was navigating the evolving global market landscape. Delegates addressed the increasing importance of social and environmental sustainability and the recent introduction of tariffs by the United States. Collectively, they sought proactive strategies to mitigate potential challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

One of the key outcomes of the session was the commitment to enhanced border control measures for raw cashew nuts, a move designed to promote fair trade practices. Additionally, the Republic of Mozambique was officially welcomed as the institution's 12th member country.

Development Partners Unite for a Shared Vision

As part of the CICC session, the Development Partners Working Group (DPWG) met on April 24, providing a platform for collaboration and alignment of visions. Representatives from key organizations, including the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), European Union International Partnerships (EU INTPA), PROCashew, Women Economic Empowerment through Cashew Processing (WEECAP), CICC, Solidaridad, NIRAS under the Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Program, and GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew, engaged in insightful discussions.

The DPWG also welcomed a new partners: the GIZ/WEECAP program, financed by the Mastercard Foundation and implemented by GIZ. The WEECAP program seeks to empower young women in cashew processing within the UEMOA region across Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau, focusing on inclusive policy and safeguarding systems, integrated supply chain linkages, organizational development, knowledge management, facilitating access to finance and promoting local consumption.

Data and Capacity Building: Cornerstones for Growth

The Speaker of the cashew sector’s Development Partner Working Group, Mrs. Beate Weiskopf, has encouraged CICC member countries in her opening speech to discuss and develop measures that respond to global market developments around issues of social and environmental sustainability and more recently the introduction of tariffs by the US. Mrs. Weiskopf underscored the urgent need for a comprehensive cashew industry database. She emphasized that such a resource would be instrumental in formulating well-informed and responsive policies, enabling the industry to proactively address evolving market demands.

She also highlighted the critical role of capacity building in driving sector growth. Stakeholders were encouraged to utilize the newly developed e-learning courses available on atingi, a resource by GIZ MOVE, with funding from BMZ, DG EU INTPA and OACPS.

Market & Policy Analyst, Jim Fitzpatrick, from The Cashew Club sparked an important dialogue with his presentation on the regional harmonization of cashew policies. He highlighted critical areas such as differing regulations, varying levels of sector development, the role of political will, and the potential impacts of harmonization. These, in his estimation, are key elements to consider in the discussions around the topic and its eventual success.

Acknowledgment of GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew's Contributions

A special highlight for GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew was the appreciation expressed by the outgoing and the incoming ministers from Ghana and Guinea respectively as well as Mr. André Tandjiekpon, Executive Secretary of CICC, during the closing session. He acknowledged the continuous support of GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew and the key role played by donors - the European Union (EU), the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) - in the development of the cashew sector.

Beate Weiskopf, in her role as speaker of the DPWG commended the CICC and its member nations in the closing session for their commitment and reiterated the call for continued collaboration among Development Partners in order to minimize duplication and maximize impact. She emphasized the importance of coordinating these collaborations at both national and regional levels. Ministries and agencies at the national level, alongside the CICC regionally, should ensure a comprehensive overview of support initiatives, budgets, and areas of potential collaboration. She furthermore emphasized the importance of policy harmonization. She encouraged all member states to identify shared priorities and pursue bilateral cooperation as a first step toward enhancing the competitiveness of the African cashew sector.

Lastly Beate Weiskopf highlighted the relevance of sustainable production.

“If all member countries increase their focus on sustainability, promoting the production and domestic processing of responsibly sourced African cashew kernels the value chain’s carbon footprint will decrease. This holds significant potential to open access to emerging opportunities such as carbon credit markets for farmers,” she added.

All these collective efforts are essential to building a resilient, competitive, and sustainable African cashew sector that benefits all stakeholders, from farmers to consumers.