Unlocking Value, Empowering Growth: Celebrating the Future of Cashew Apple Valorization in Africa

A vibrant day of dialogue, learning, innovation, and partnership has come to an end.

The Regional Cashew Apple Valorisation Conference and Exhibition, organised by GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew in collaboration with the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) and took place on 30 April 2026 in Accra, brought together over 160 participants including 30 companies to exhibit their products  from 13 countries ; Benin, Burkina Faso, Brazil,Cameroun, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Togo.

Under the theme “Unlocking Value, Empowering Growth” the event celebrated the growing momentum around cashew apple valorization, highlighted its potential to create new income opportunities, strengthen rural enterprises, reduce post-harvest losses, and support inclusive agri-business development across Africa.

A shared commitment to a new opportunity

The conference opened with strong key note addresses  from high level speakers, including  the Hon. Kwasi Etu Bonde, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA)  Hon. Samson Ahi, Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry (MoTAI), Hon. Dr. Andrews Osei Okrah, the CEO of Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA),Céline PRUD’HOMME MADSEN the Programme Manager in the Agriculture Department at the Delegation of the European Union to Ghana, Mr. Daniel Boehme, Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, Mr. Nathan Eboyi Representative of the Association of Cashew Processors Ghana (ACPG).

Their presence reflected a shared commitment: cashew apple valorization can no longer remain a side conversation in the cashew sector. It is an opportunity that has the potential to transform waste into value, ideas into enterprises, and partnerships into lasting impact.

A key moment of the conference was the presentation by Dr. Andrews Osei Okrah, Chief Executive at TCDA on Ghana’s proposed policy framework for cashew apple utilization, placing the valorization of cashew apples within a broader national vision for agro-industrial transformation.

“The opportunity before us is clear: to transform Ghana’s cashew industry from one that is heavily reliant on raw nut exports into a diversified, value-added agro-industrial sector.” - Dr. Andrews Osei Okrah

The framework outlines how Ghana can promote value addition, reduce losses and increase incomes by commercializing cashew apples.

For Ghana, where cashew is one of the country’s important non-traditional export crops, this policy direction is an important step towards recognizing the cashew apple as an economic asset in its own right.

From untapped potential to practical results

For GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew, the conference was an important moment to shine the spotlight on their support for cashew apple initiatives. During her presentation, Beate Weiskopf, Programme Manager of the project, emphasised the untapped potential of cashew apples and shared insights into the project’s activities across the region.

The Matching Grant Fund has supported public-private interventions that help turn cashew apples into marketable products and create new business opportunities along the value chain. The project furthermore trained over 5,000 women and young people in cashew apple processing across the ECOWAS region, equipping them with practical processing and entrepreneurial skills to develop their own products and pursue new business opportunities.

The program also promotes knowledge exchange, research and joint learning to bridge technological gaps and foster regional collaboration.

In her conclusions, Beate Weiskopf drew attention to the unlocked opportunities on a broader scale. While cashew apple valorization can create new income opportunities locally, regional-level collaboration is essential for closing knowledge and technology gaps, and for conducting research and joint learning. Internationally, the first initiatives to bring cashew apple products to European markets demonstrate that the fruit is attracting attention far beyond the farms where it is grown.

Dr. Rodolpho R. C. Monteiro, a researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), took this call for regional and international learning further by sharing experiences and lessons from Brazil’s cashew apple sector. He demonstrated how long-term research, technological development and market orientation have expanded the use of the cashew apple beyond juice to encompass food products, plant-based formulations, edible films, colourants, sunscreen applications, biocatalysts and biorefinery concepts. Brazil’s experience offered a powerful reminder that valorisation grows through collaboration, experimentation and having the courage to recognise value in what others see as waste.

Business voices at the centre

The panel discussions were among the most dynamic moments of the day. They brought the perspectives of businesses, processors, researchers, and investors into the conversation first-hand.

The first panel, moderated by Mary Adzanyo (Head of component, private sector GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew), explored the valorization of cashew apples, business opportunities, and challenges. Panelists were Serge Hobert Kponou (Managing Director, Tolaro Global SAS), Doreen Caesaria Abaane (Sustainability Lead Cashew OFI Ghana), John Joseph Nkundwanabake (Managing Director, Akros Ltd), David Sylvan Jordan (Co-Managing Director of Espen Organics Senegal (EOSEN)), and Dr. Oyilanka Christianah Jayeola (Director Value Addition Research, CRIN/FoodPro) shared practical experiences from Benin, Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, and Nigeria.

Their stories demonstrated the diversity of possibilities, including circular economy models, women and youth empowerment, and a wide range of cashew apple products and export-oriented innovations. However, they also highlighted the challenges associated with working with a perishable fruit like the cashew apple.

The second panel, moderated by Mohamed Salifou Issaka (Head of Component, production GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew), focused on bridging the gap between research and investment in the cashew apple sector. Contributors included Eugenia Boafo (New Product Development Lead at HPW AG), Daniel Otu (Executive Director of Operations and Production at Koa Impact Ghana Ltd), Dr. Esther Gyedu-Akoto (Deputy Executive Director of CRIG-Ghana), Dr. Elídio Zaidine Maurício Zitha (Food Science Researcher at IAM-Mozambique) and Samuel Yeboah (Chief Operating Officer at GIRSAL-Ghana). The discussion emphasized that scaling up the valorization of cashew apples requires commitment throughout the entire value chain, as well as the right combination of research, private-sector investment, product development, quality assurance, consumer acceptance and supportive policies.

Innovation on display

Beyond the presentations and exchanges, the cashew apple exhibition created a space where participants could see, taste, and experience the potential of cashew apples firsthand.

Exhibitors from across the African continent showcased a variety of cashew apple-based products, demonstrating how creativity, skills, and investment can transform an overlooked fruit into a marketable product.

 

Looking ahead

The conference concluded with a forward-looking session on future steps, which brought together representatives from GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew, TCDA, MOFA, MOTAI and OFI.

The conversation focused on maintaining momentum and progressing from promising initiatives to wider sector transformation.

For MOVE-ComCashew and its partners, the conference was about more than just holding an event. It was a celebration of progress, a platform for partnerships and a rallying cry. Continued collaboration, investment, innovation and policy support are key to realising the great potential of the cashew apple as a driver of income, jobs, nutrition and sustainable value chain development.