Driving Policy, Partnership, and Progress in Global Cashew Trade at the World Cashew Conference 2026

The 2026 World Cashew Conference (WCC), organised by Eventell Global Advisory from January 30 to February 1, 2026, convened over 600 actors from across the global cashew value chain. Under the theme “Navigating the New Normal in Global Cashew Trade Flow,” the conference brought together producers, processors, exporters, buyers, major logistics and shipping companies, government representatives, and development partners from over 40 countries, providing a platform for collaboration, innovation, and meaningful partnerships that continue to shape the future of the cashew industry.

Shaping Policies and Driving Sustainable Growth

GIZ MOVE/ComCashew supported a closed-door meeting with Eventell Global Advisory  between policymakers, opinion leaders and major private sector association leaders from producing, processing and consuming countries in Africa and Asia. The meeting, moderated by Mrs. Beate Weiskopf, GIZ MOVE/ComCashew Programme Manager and Mr. Srivatsava Ganapathy, CEO of Eventell Global Advisory, brought the needle movers in the industry together to deliberate on countries priorities, their needs from other players and what they are willing to contribute to others. Key themes highlighted by producing countries were their agenda to increase domestic value addition to cashew, enhance productivity of plantations, facilitate better incomes for cashew farmer and their openness to facilitate investment in-country for foreign actors who are interested in setting up processing countries at origin. The meeting also concluded that both producing and consuming countries needed to invest in promoting consumption both locally and internationally. To ensure the relevance of cashew amid stiff competition with other nuts, participants agreed to set up a Task Force for promoting coordination among countries and developing a shared vision to increase cashew consumption at national and international level.  

During a keynote panel on government visions for their cashew sectors, Mrs. Weiskopf commended African governments for their forward-looking policies but emphasized the need for increased harmonization to maximize impact. “I encourage African governments and private sector bodies to actively promote domestic cashew consumption e.g. in upcoming events this year to match the growing production volumes,” she said. Mrs. Weiskopf highlighted GIZ’s decade-long support to the cashew sector, acknowledging the co-financing of the MOVE/ComCashew project by the European Union under the Samoa Agreement with the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).  GIZ has played a pivotal role in boosting cashew domestic value addition. She reinforced the programme’s commitment to the development of a sustainable, climate-resilient Cashew Value Chain offering income and job-opportunities especially for youth and women.

 

Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs

The conference also shone the spotlight on women changemakers in the cashew sector, their achievements and challenges that remained to be addressed. Moderated by Ms Nunana Addo, Regional Policy Advisor at GIZ MOVE, the CasheWomen panel discussion highlighted the innovation, resilience, and impact of women-led businesses in the cashew sector. Sharing insights gained from operating her business in an emerging origin like Sierra Leone, Mrs. Noellen Barber, CEO of Nianda Agricultural Commodities Trading Ltd. And GIZ Matching Grant Fund partner, demonstrated the essence of sustainable innovation.“I operate with the mindset that there is no waste in cashew. We hand over what passes as poor-quality cashew kernels to persons living with disabilities to produce soap. By doing this, we provide an avenue for them to have a more dignified livelihood.”

Mrs. Frédérique Gueï, CEO of Sost Nuts and a beneficiary of GIZ MOVE’s support for cashew processors in developing new products from cashew and its by-products, also shared stories that highlighted resilience and innovation in entrepreneurship.  “We call on governments and industry bodies like the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) to support women-led businesses with research and data. With reliable and timely data, we can make informed decisions and compete better on the international market,” she said. Other panelists, Mrs. Suchithra Balasubramanian, Co-Director of Nanopix – an equipment manufacturing company in India, and Mrs. Christelle Ohouo, General Manager of Diaouné & Frères, Côte d’Ivoire - a major cashew processing and export business, shared insights on the challenges women entrepreneurs face and recommended inclusion of women’s perspectives in equipment design, and the development of inclusive policies to support growth across the value chain.

The CasheWomen initiative, conceptualized and promoted by GIZ and CashewInfo, brings together over 700 women entrepreneurs and leaders from all segments of the global cashew value chain together to exchange knowledge, network, and build partnerships.

As the World Cashew Conference 2026 came to a close, the strong engagement of governments, private sector actors, producers, exporters, and development partners especially the growing leadership of women highlighted a shared commitment to building a resilient and sustainable cashew value chain. More than a forum for dialogue, WCC 2026 in Dubai became a meaningful moment for collective reflection and a step forward in shaping the industry’s future.