News

Training in Beekeeping

The beekeeping training comes after several cashew farmers revealed interest in a similar training programme organized last year.

 This year’s two day theoretical training takes place on Monday December, 7 and Tuesday December 8, 2015.

The proposed date for practical training is Wednesday 20 January 2016. The venue for the training is the C.T.C Training center in Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region. Participants who wish to take part in the training programme will be required to pay an amount of 50 Ghana Cedis (lunch inclusive).  

Additionally, C.T.C has released the price list for beekeeping equipment for the upcoming farming season. 

Beekeeping Equipment Price List: 

For more information please email ctcghana@gmail.com  or call 00233243672292/00233543404935

FARMERS’ DAY CELEBRATION

Farmers’ Day in Ghana is celebrated to recognize the vital role farmers and fishers play in the economy and to motivate them to produce more. The celebration of this day was instituted by the Ghanaian government in 1985, following the highly commendable output of farmers and fishermen in 1984, after the bad agricultural output in 1982 and 1983.

Each year, Ghana’s best farmer or fisher is being awarded. The value of gifts given to the best farmer has gradually improved from two machetes, a pair of Wellington boots and a pre-set radio in 1986 to tractors, pick-ups and a 3-bedroom house in recent times.

According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the criteria a farmer or fisher has to meet to be selected as an award candidate include his or her knowledge of diversification and integrated farming operations, scale of operation, adoption of new technology and records keeping.

The African Cashew initiative (ACi / GIZ) has so far trained more than 40,000 cashew farmers in Ghana on Good Agricultural Practices, Harvest and Post-Harvest Handlings as well as the Establishment of Cashew Plantations. The objective is to increase cashew yields, better quality and to get the maximum farm returns that attract higher prices and increase farmer incomes.

What has ACi done on integrated farming operations? Through partnerships under the Cashew Matching Fund, farmers were trained on how to effectively combine bee-keeping and cashew farming. One impressive achievement is the increased revenue and yield from bee pollination in cashew farms. Money from honey product sales served as another source of revenue to the farmers. Especially women profit from bee-keeping activities.

Other ACi achievements through the Cashew Matching Fund in Ghana are the provision of improved planting materials to farmers, the expansion of cashew farms and the successful training of farmers on farm record keeping. ACi also supports research activities on improved planting material development in cooperation with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Cocoa Research Institute, Ghana, as well as a private nursery operator named Tree Global.

Cashew is becoming a very important and more prominent cash crop in Ghana. Therefore, ACi works to equip farmers with the relevant knowledge, skills and technologies to tap into the many potentials of cashew farming.

The African Cashew wishes all farmers a Happy Farmers’ day.

7th International Cashew conference in Vietnam

Celebrations of joint achievements in the cashew sector: A feedback workshop on cashew activities in Burkina Faso

Vacancy Announcements

The African Cashew Alliance(ACA) was established in 2006 as an association of African and international businesses with an interest in promoting a globally competitive African cashew industry. Today, nearly 200 member companies work under the ACA banner and represent all aspects of the cashew value chain, including producers, processors, traders, and international buyers.

There are currently a number of job openings and requests for Expressions of Interests available at ACA. Please click on one of the positions below for more information:

M&E Officer position

EOI Gender Awareness

EOI Food Safety & Quality

EOI Environmental Waste

EOI Business Advisory

Request for Consultancy Proposals

The African Cashew Alliance (ACA) in addition to other roles,  serves as a platform of information in the African value chain industry, and runs a Market Information System (MIS) to address the private and public stakeholders’ cashew marketing and policy decision making in cashew producing countries. Information collected from the MIS contributes to the development and capacity building of both private and public sector organizations.

ACA aims to improve all processes within its market information services, from data collection to dissemination, market linkages, and the delivery of information to its members and other stakeholders in the cashew sector. In this regard, the Alliance requires the services of a consultant to develop an electronic procurement system in order to improve raw cashew buying in remote communities.

For more information please click on the link below

Request for Consultancy Proposals

You can also download a PDF version of the request.

Ghana: A possible embargo on cashew nut exports divides producers and processors

Ghana’s cashew potential estimated at $56 million annually

Ghana’s annual revenue from exporting raw cashew nuts is estimated at 56 million dollars, Mr Joseph Yeung, Managing Director of the Mim Cashew Processing Company, has revealed.

He said value of processed cashew kernels, which is 21 per cent of the 65,000 metric tons of the annual raw cashew produced is also expected to earn the country 102 million dollars.

Mr Yeung, disclosed this when Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industry paid a working visit to the company’s plant site at Mim in the Asunafo North Municipality.

Read More

Cashew nuts can fetch Ghana US$56m annually

Ghana: Gov’t keen on growing cashew sector

Special Cashew Day: Cajou-issons a la Togolaise

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New Secretary General of the ACP Group

Dr. Patrick I. Gomes is the Ambassador of Guyana to the European Union and the Kingdom of Belgium (also accredited to six other European nations), and the country’s representative to the WTO, FAO, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Previously, he served as Chair of the Working Group on Future Perspectives of the ACP Group and as well as Chair of the Committee of Ambassadors, a decision-making body of the ACP Group, in 2010-2011.

In an introductory meeting with GIZ, Dr. Patrick I. Gomes highlights the importance of agricultural value chains such as cocoa and cashew for Private Sector Development, one pillar of the ACP Strategy. Andre Proksch, Member of the GIZ Executive Management Committee and Head of Africa Department emphasizes success factors of GIZ work that can support the implementation of such strategies. He talks about impact-oriented monitoring, private sector engagement, south – south cooperation and management of various partnerships. In this context, Mr. Proksch is complimenting ACi’s holistic value chain approach, a good example for income generation, job creation and private sector development in the cashew sector. He offers continuous support throughout his term at GIZ.

The ACP Secretariat intends to strengthen its collaboration with ACi/GIZ to improve the cashew value chain for economic development. The objective is to contribute to inclusive agricultural growth and to improve livelihoods for smallholders by promoting competitive agricultural value chains.

Journée Internationale des travailleurs - Plus d'emplois dans le secteur de la noix de cajou en Afrique

Le chômage est un fléau commun à tous les pays du monde et est à la base de bon nombre de difficulté économique. Aujourd’hui il n’est plus possible d’aborder la question du travail sans aborder le problème du chômage.

Depuis 2009, l'initiative du Cajou Africain (iCA) mène des actions et fonctionne tout le long de la chaîne de valeur de la noix de cajou afin de  promouvoir la croissance du secteur et de réduire durablement la pauvreté. Vu que la demande des noix de cajou est en augmentation constante et cela à l'échelle mondiale, le secteur devrait offrir plus d'emplois dans tous les secteurs de la noix de cajou. Jusqu'à présent, l’intervention de  l'iCA et de ses partenaires ont déjà permis de créer plus de 5500 nouveaux emplois dans les usines de transformation de cajou, 75% de ses emplois sont au profit des femmes vivant dans les zones rurales. Sur le plan de la production, l'iCA et ses partenaires ont formé plus de 330 000 agriculteurs, dont environ 25% sont des femmes, aux bonnes pratiques agricoles. En conséquence les agriculteurs sont capables de produire des noix de qualité plus élevés et susceptibles d’être plus rentable. Certains agriculteurs approvisionnent même les marchés spécialisés tels que les marchés bio et équitable, ce qui leur permet ainsi d’améliorer leurs moyens de subsistance. L’augmentation de la production locale de noix de cajou brutes crée aussi des emplois supplémentaires pour les travailleurs agricoles(les saisonniers) et contribue au revenu de leur ménage.

Les liens de chaîne d’approvisionnement durable augmentent le revenu le long de la chaîne; Producteurs, Transformateurs, Acheteurs Européens.

Le secteur de la noix de cajou a la potentialité d'augmenter le revenu de millions de personnes à travers l'Afrique et  de fournir des milliers d’emplois si une plus grande  transformation des noix de cajou brute se faisais dans les pays producteurs. Une étude menée par le Conseil de coton et de l’anacarde ivoirien à estimer que  en augmentant la capacité de traitement de 100 000 tonnes dans le pays cela permettrai de créer 12 300 emplois en usine, principalement pour les femmes, et 10 000 emplois dans les secteurs de production et de commercialisation. L’iCA et ses partenaires fournissent  actuellement des services d’assistance techniques et de développement des affaires à des unités de transformation sélectionnés en vu d’améliorer les conditions de travail dans leurs usines et pour assuré la qualité des noix de cajou transformées. L'initiative encourage également la formation des travailleurs des usines afin d’assurer leur efficacité,  en vu de l'augmentation des capacités de traitement, mais aussi pour les rendre plus compétitif sur le plan internationale.

L'industrie de la noix de cajou a un grand potentiel et peut contribuer à la croissance économique des pays dans lesquels il est produit. Alors que nous célébrons la Journée internationale du travail, envisagé investir dans le secteur de la noix de cajou et contribuer ainsi à la réduction du taux de chômage et de pauvreté en Afrique.

La Noix de cajou africaine: 10 bonnes raisons d'investir maintenant!

Cashew talks at World Bank

In the frame of the Global Delivery Initiative (GDI) – a partnership for doing delivery differently – The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation had been invited to share their experiences in the African Cashew Sector. As panelists at the Spring Meeting 2015, ACi Executive Director, Rita Weidinger and the General Director of CCA, Malamine Sanogo addressed delivery challenges along the cashew value chain in the areas of cashew production, processing, supply chain linkages and sector organization. Moreover, the case study informs about innovative approaches tackling these challenges and identifies important factors enabling science of delivery approaches.

Already in December ACi/GIZ had participated in a World Bank event on the Global Delivery Initiative in Berlin. The GDI aims at improving results and impacts of development efforts worldwide, based on a more systematic understanding of what works in international development, why and most importantly, how.

The Global Delivery Initiative Case Study on ACi will be available for download very soon.

Cashew at SARA 2015 - The most profitable nut in Côte d’Ivoire

"The success of Côte d’Ivoire is based on agriculture.” - A famous saying in Côte d’Ivoire. Since independence the agriculture sector accounts for 30% of the GDP and 70% of export earnings, providing jobs for more than 60% of the people. Côte d’Ivoire is the main cocoa and cola nut producer in the world, the largest latex and bananas producer in Africa and the biggest exporter of cashew nuts in the world. More than ever, Côte d’Ivoire remains a land of invaluable agricultural potential.

Promoting the wealth of natural resources, Ivorian authorities re-launched SARA 2015 the Agriculture and the Animal Resources Fair (Le Salon de l’Agriculture et des Ressources Animales). More than 600 national and international exhibitors, among others the African Cashew initiative, and over 160,000 visitors were attracted by this event. As part of the closing ceremony, the Prime Minister and the Agricultural Minister presented an award to GIZ Country Director, Dr. Michael Dreyer, to acknowledge the high quality support by national and regional GIZ projects to the development of the agricultural sector.

Among the success stories of Côte d’Ivoire is their emerging cashew industry. Côte d’Ivoire is Africa’s leading cashew producer and the second largest grower of cashew worldwide. Today, more than 600,000 farmers in Côte d’Ivoire are growing cashew. However, until today only 40,000 MT of the 560,000 MT locally grown raw cashew nuts are also processed in-country. That must change! In a structural reform process in 2013, the Ivorian government, through the Cotton and Cashew Council, successfully strategized cashew activities to actively promote local investment as part of the transformation process of the Ivorian cashew industry. Following the reforms, a training center for cashew processing and technology in Yamoussoukro is being build. Also strategies to increase local cashew processing and to create employment for the rural population are being implemented. Côte d’Ivoire presents a role-model for the neighboring cashew growing countries.

Through events such as SARA 2015 and the SIETTA 2014 - Salon International des Equipements et des Technologies de Transformation de l’Anacarde, the Ivorian government facilitates knowledge and technology transfer not only on national but also on regional and international level.  By establishing regional networks of technical expertise and political cooperation, African products such as cashew have a real opportunity to become more competitive on the international market.

Read more here on the award presented to GIZ (in German only)

Unlearning to re-learn: The EDP experience

From the 8^th to 14^th February 2015, the African Cashew initiative (ACi) and the Exposure and Dialogue Association, organized a Programme on ‘Social and Economic Impulses through the Cashew Industry in Ghana’. For three days and three nights, nine high level decision makers and ACi partners experienced the everyday life of cashew farming families in Ghana. Travelling from Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, the participants were excited to spend a few days in the major cashew producing region – the Brong Ahafo Region. Some participants were eager to share their interesting experiences and cherished moments working as cashew farmers.

Wim Schipper, Sourcing Manager, Intersnack 

“My host family - Peter, Emma and their four daughters - live in the small village Sebereni in the Jaman South district. Sebereni is located in the Western part of the Brong Ahafo Region, near the Ivorian border. Decades ago Peter’s ancestors arrived here when looking for arable land. They settled as farmers and founded Sebereni. Many people who live here are family members of Peter.

Peter and Emma own six different plots of land of about 28 hectares in and around Sebereni. Next to cashew they also grow mango, papaya, yam, cassava, eggplant, oranges and plantain. While selling the raw cashew nuts (RCN) to Olam agents, they eat the fruits and vegetables they grow or sell the extras on the Drobo market.

Peter and Emma keep 34 bee hives around the cashew plantation to increase their income from cashew and by-product sales. Through pollination of the trees yields have increased from 16,500kg of RCN in 2014 to 20,000 kg of RCN in 2015. The bees also provide honey that can be sold on the market.

Peter benefitted from trainings by the African Cashew initiative (ACi) through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The training helped him to prioritize the necessary Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). He thinks that it is impossible to implement all. Peter and Emma hire labourers from Sebereni and neighbouring villages to help on the farm. Due to the high yields, they can offer employment to day laborers. They are mostly women and given a chance to earn their own incomes. The use of mechanized tools such as sprayers and chain saws is costly. Physical, hands-on work is still the most common approach.

In discussions with Peter, I tried to assess the yield. We arrived at about 900 kg per hectare, which is 7 kg per tree. This is 10% above the Ghanaian average of 800 kg per hectare - the highest in Africa. Guinea Bissau is second with approximately 550 kg per hectare. Comparing these yields to Vietnam and India, Africa still has a lot to do! In my opinion, the yield gap can only be bridged with the help of mechanization. More machines and tools are needed to prepare and make lands available and to implement the fruitful Good Agricultural Practices!”

Bas van den Brink, Program Manager, IDH

“The Exposure Programme was a deep dive into reality. It was a unique experience to work and live alongside a cashew farmer and to experience their real life challenges and opportunities at first hand.  The warm welcome and openness from my host family, the community and the facilitator enabled me to be part of their lives. What touched me most was the passion for the product - cashew, the entrepreneurship and local leadership within the farming community. With the support of the African Cashew initiative great steps have been made. The results are there, new opportunities are in reach.  Thank you again for this experience.”

Communiqué de presse: Côte d'Ivoire - Un bon modèle pour le secteur du cajou

Le principal point de discussion de cette réunion portera sur les réformes entreprises dans le secteur du cajou depuis 2013/14. "La Côte d'Ivoire est un bon modèle pour l'industrie du cajou, particulièrement en Afrique de l'Ouest"  affirme Rita Weidinger, la Directrice exécutive d'iCA. "Avec le soutien du gouvernement national, le Conseil du Coton et de l'Anacarde a élaboré une stratégie nationale de développement du cajou dans le but d'organiser les acteurs nationaux et de coordonner les activités du secteur", ajoute-elle. Les principaux partenaires   d'iCA qui viennent de l'Afrique, de l'Europe et des Etats-Unis se déplacent sur Abidjan dans le but de discuter des mesures dans lesquelles la réforme du secteur a été mise en œuvre en mettant l'accent sur les investissements portant sur la transformation locale de la noix de cajou et la croissance globale de l'industrie.

Des discussions sur la troisième phase  de mise en œuvre du projet prévue  pour commencer en Avril 2016 figure également  à l'ordre du jour. Comme  facteur de succès, l'iCA continue d’appuyer les directive stratégiques des partenaires des secteurs privés et public pour faire correspondre les activités du projet aux besoins de l'industrie et des partenaires. Seront présent à cette réunion de base les représentants de la Fondation Bill & Melinda Gates, le Conseil du Coton et de l'Anacarde ivoirien (CCA), l’Alliance du Cajou Africain (ACA), l'Institut de formation du cajou du Mozambique (INCAJU), l'initiative du commerce durable Néerlandais (IDH) ainsi que le groupe de commerce et de développement (TDG), le développeur allemand de logiciels SAP AG et les acheteurs internationales de noix de cajou, Intersnack, kraftfoods et Olam, ainsi que les partenaires de mise en œuvre  d'iCA, FairMatch Support et TechnoServe.

Le Secteur du Cajou Ivoirien en bref

La Côte d'Ivoire est le premier producteur de noix de cajou en Afrique et le deuxième plus grand producteur de noix de cajou dans le monde entier. L'Afrique représente près de 50% de la production mondiale de noix de cajou, dont 26% est actuellement produite par la Côte d'Ivoire.  Aujourd'hui, 600 000 agriculteurs en Côte d'Ivoire cultivent du cajou. Cependant, seulement 40 000 MT sur les 560 000 tonnes de noix de cajou brutes produites sont transformés localement. L'augmentation des taux de transformation qui est actuellement de 7% à 35% ajoutera non seulement de la valeur économique pour la Côte d'Ivoire, mais créera aussi des emplois pour la population rurale. Une étude menée par le CCA a révélé que 100 000 tonnes de capacité de transformation supplémentaire crée 12 300 emplois en usine, principalement pour les femmes, et 10 000 emplois supplémentaires sur le plan de la production et de la commercialisation.  

L'initiative du cajou africain

L'initiative du cajou africain est un projet de partenariat multipartite financé par le ministère fédéral allemand de la Coopération économique et de développement ainsi que par la Fondation de Bill & Melinda Gates. En étroite collaboration avec des entreprises privées et des institutions publiques du Bénin, du Burkina Faso, de la Côte d'Ivoire, du  Ghana et  du Mozambique, iCA fonctionne tout le long de la chaîne de valeur du cajou. GIZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH est l'exécutant du projet en partenariat avec FairMatch Support et TechnoServe pour assurer une croissance durable de la production du cajou et sa transformation en Afrique. Les partenaires Importants de la coopération en Côte d'Ivoire sont: le Conseil du Coton et de l'Anacarde (CCA), les projets de la GIZ tels que ProFIAB, le centre national de formation INADES, le fournisseur des services de vulgarisation ANADER, ainsi que le centre de recherche agricole CNRA et FIRCA , les transformateurs nationaux et internationaux tels que Olam, les associations nationales des acteurs du secteur du cajou, par exemple CPG-CI, ANAPROCAJOU et FICAJOU et aussi les commerçants et les exportateurs UNABO, OAPACI et AEC-CI.

Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter:

Mr. Karim Berthe, Coordonnateur Général, karimberthe@conseilcotonanacarde.ci

Ann-Christin Berger, Responsable de Communication de iCA, ann-christin.berger@giz.de

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FORESTS – MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE, ONE CASHEW TREE AT A TIME

The International Day of Forests, instituted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, is celebrated every year on March 21^st to raise awareness on the importance of all tree types. ‘Forests and Climate Change’ as this year’s theme, highlights mitigating and adapting to climate change as well as linking forests and sustainable development. Tree crops, such as cashew, are a source of income for many people around the world. Cashew especially, has diverse economic benefits, from the cashew nut and shell to the cashew apple. 

The cashew tree is very robust and even grows and yields well in harsh, meaning dry climatic conditions with low rainfalls and thus lower soil fertility. A study revealed the potential for cashew growing areas, even if climate change continues at the same pace. The study forecasts that by 2020, and even more by 2050, areas that are currently suitable for cocoa will become much more suitable for cashew. Cocoa compared to cashew needs higher levels of rainfall and better soil conditions. Cashew trees also serve as a great habitat for bees, thereby promoting biodiversity in the plantations. Farmers introducing bees on their farms experienced up to three times higher yields due to pollination. In tropical countries, the canopies of cashew trees provide shade from the sun and help reduce erosion. Planting cashew also reduces the impacts of climate change by preventing deforestation and helps to protect, conserve and restore the soils.

ACi Partners, through the Matching Fund and a collaborative effort, have been able to support the production of 2.2 improved cashew seedlings and distributed them to 29.138 ha of new cashew plantations. This is part of the objectives to improve the genetic material for high yielding trees and high quality African cashews and to ultimately accelerate the development of the cashew industry.

African Cashew  initiative (ACi), being confident about the benefits of cashew trees, organized a tree planting exercise in August, 2014 together with other industry players, at the botanical gardens of the University of Ghana. The aim is to revive the Legon botanical gardens and to encourage people to take responsibility for a greener urban area. Join ACi to preserve our forests by planting cashew today. You will be glad you did.

You can read about ACi’s interventions here:

ACi Tree Planting Exercise

Climate Change Study - Powerpoint Presentation

Climate Change Study - Report

Bee Keeping Study

Bee Keeping Success Story

Improved Planting Material 

Raw Cashew Nut Price is set for 2015 season.

A stakeholder committee comprising of farmers/producers, processors, traders/buyers and exporters met in Techiman at the beginning of the month to deliberate and come up with a starting price for the 2015 cashew season in Ghana. With the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as the facilitator, the committee which is known as the pricing committee has come up with the price to help regulate the sector and make it more competitive for actors.

Read More: Minimum price for raw cashew nuts announced

World Consumer Rights Day 2015

Every year, 15^th March is set aside to celebrate World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD). This year’s theme is ‘healthy diets’. The WCRD is organized by Consumer’s International to increase awareness on the basic rights of consumers and to demand that these rights are respected. Eating highly nutritious local foods, reducing the content of salt and sugar in processed foods and placing nutrition labeling on consumer foods are some of the ways of respecting the consumer rights. Unhealthy diets are associated with four of the ten most significant causes of diseases such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood glucose.

The African Cashew initiative (ACi) believes that one way of eating healthy is to include cashew nuts in diets. Not only are cashew nuts delicious but contain monosaturated fats which are good for diabetic patients. Eating cashew nuts reduces the risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart diseases. The nuts are also high in magnesium which is essential for healthy bones. Inadequate magnesium can lead to high blood pressure, headaches, muscle cramps and tiredness. An added bonus is that eating cashew nuts reduces the chances of gaining weight.

The cashew apples are also rich in nutrients and contain about 5 times of the Vitamin C found in oranges and about 12 times found in pineapples. The apples aid in the growth and repair of tissues in the body, help prevent cholera and cure diarrhoea. Although often thrown away, the cashew apples can be processed into chutneys, jams, candies, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and syrups. So, both the cashew nut and apple offers great business opportunities for investors; are delicious treats and have a wide range of health benefits.

As we celebrate World Consumer Rights Day, don’t forget to include cashew in your diet. Your body will thank you. 

Impressions of a Cashew Master Trainer - A talk about personal and professional changes

“My name is Eloi Nombre. I am the General Secretary of the Cashew producers union of Burkina Faso (UNPA/BF). I took part in the Cashew Master Training Programme which was organized last year by ACi. I learnt a lot from the programme and have been working to transfer the knowledge I gained since then.”

“Since the first edition of the MTP, I have trained 25 trainers. Using the training tools that were introduced to us at the first edition, I have succeeded in training a lot of farmers as well. I am able to structure the trainings according to an objective and to sustain the interest of the group receiving the training. Moreover, as farmers have very little knowledge about processing and what RCN are used for, I explained the processes involved in processing to them. Farmers find this very interesting as they begin to appreciate their role in the value chain. They also realize that in practicing GAPs they contribute to the overall quality assurance of cashew kernels, which is the end product. ”

“Some of the training topics I have taught are top working, grafting and pest and disease management. For most of the farmers, it was their first time of hearing about top working. Others did not also know that it is not advisable to intercrop cashew with pigeon peas or cowpeas. I also trained them on different classification of pesticides.”

“The MTP has advanced my knowledge in cashew but I have also acquired some important personal lessons such as perception management. I can say that I have personally changed a lot and I look forward to the second edition.”

“For the next coming edition, it would be fine to incorporate to the programme, the topic of negotiation techniques which will increase knowledge of farmer leaders for commercial transactions with buyers and processor.”

“More than just a farmer, more than just a worker....” - An EDP experience

From the 8th to 14th February, 2015, ACi and the Exposure and Dialogue Programme Association organized an Exposure and Dialogue Programme on "Social and Economic Impulses through the Cashew-Industry in Ghana". Altogether, 11 participants from African, Carribean and European public and private organisations spent three days and three nights (Exposure) with cashew farmers in the Tain, Wenchi and Jaman Districts of the Brong – Ahafo Region. Following the Exposure, participants reflected on their experiences and activities they were involved in during the previous days of exposure. The programme was summed up with a Dialogue workshop with stakeholder and experts of the Ghanaina cashew sector.

Paula Hippolyte-Bauwens who is the first secretary of the Embassy of the Eastern Carribean States to Belgium and the EU, was one of the participants of this programme. She shares her experiences below:

"My experience in Tain District and in Accra during the most recent EDP/ACi programme was a life-influencing experience, as I like to describe it, because it is one of those experiences obtained within the framework of professional exercise, but which impacted me for life. The learning curve in terms of cashew production, promotion of quality and challenges faced by the cashew industry as a whole, was a steep one, which was necessary for proper comprehension of the African reality. It was also an opportunity to understand how the African Cashew Experience could also be relevant to the Caribbean in a Small Island Developing State context, which is mine.

Beyond the professional exercise, the experience I had living and working with a farmer who faces adverse conditions but who lives a life of dignity, was most extraordinary. The depth of the person also struck me – more than just a farmer, more than just a worker, their life stories were the stories of many, no matter where they grew up or which part of the world they happened to live in…I could have identified with it, the human relations, the challenges and the hopes. Of course, it was a challenge to be propelled into a different world where traditions, practices and norms seem unconnected with the fast-pace of so-called development. The frequent power cuts that plunge homes and lives into darkness until the timid light of the morning gives way to a burst of relentless heat, structure (or limits) peoples’ activities around the sunlight. However, the deep respect for the elderly and for traditional customs such as the authority of Nana or the village chief is awe-inspiring. The back-breaking farm work or household work served to remind me of the distance development has taken some of us away from poverty, yet paradoxically, too far from the bliss of hard work that produces sweet sleep at night.

For me, the cashew life experience was unforgettable: how life can be woven around the cashew farm, to the extent that the trees can take on the resemblance of one’s progeniture…and represent one’s life. Much ground has been covered by the ACi and its partners in terms of the production and promotion of good quality nuts in Ghana…there is still much distance to go, with the development of by-products and value addition. I therefore look forward to a meaningful exchange of experience between Ghana and Saint Lucia in cashew nut production and value addition."

Vacancy Announcements

You are a good team player with excellent personal skills?

You adapt easily to different cultural settings?

You have an interest and knowledge in agriculture, agribusiness, project management, sector organization, marketing and communication?

You have good communication skills, are open-minded and willing to learn more?

 If you answered yes to the questions above, this is an opportunity for you to join the cashew sector. The African Cashew initiative (ACi) and the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) have job openings for you.

For more information please click on the positions below:

Advisor for Cashew Sector Organization (ACi)

Communications and Marketing Manager (ACA)

Projects Assistant (ACA)

Doing Delivery Differently - The Global Delivery Initiative

GDI -a partnership for doing delivery differently.

The Global Delivery Initiative (GDI) is a partnership of development agencies and multilateral development banks, government agencies and non-governmental implementers, private sector practitioners, and the research community with an objective to improve the results and impacts of development efforts worldwide. This can be achieved by understanding the what, why and how of international development in order to improve delivery. The Initiative also aims at promoting integrated approaches of delivery by forging a global community of partners to build a more systematic, cumulative, and strategic understanding of how to deliver.

The Case Study Marketplace – the knowledge exchange platform

On the 11^th and 12th of December, GDI organized the Case Study Marketplace in Berlin, to introduce Delivery Case Studies while launching the initiative. The event which was co-hosted by GIZ and the World Bank was meant to interactively explore the up and downs of project implementation and which methods were applied for learning and possible success.  GDI recognizes the need for a knowledge exchange platform, where partners can share and learn from knowledge and experiences from various sectors and regions. The Case Study Marketplace is therefore a forum to showcase the Delivery Case Studies as a way to provide partners with insights into the various delivery-based experiences and an opportunity to feed these insights back into operational settings. 12 different case studies were presented from organisations such as KfW, World Bank, GIZ, Universities as well as ACi.

ACi – the unique model

ACi presented the project as a case study at the Marketplace showcasing the comparative advantage of being a project on value chain as well as supply chain linkages with a strong incorporation of private sector views.  As a unique project that involves the private and decision making public sector into the project steering through the establishment of a body of Core Partners, ACi received special attention during the event. Participants were especially interested in the fact that national and international private partners as well as local public decision makers are sustainably taking over the “driver’s seat” in the implementation of the project.

Next steps

ACi has accepted the invitation to present a complete Science of Delivery (SoD) Case Study at the World Bank’s Spring Conference in Washington in April 2015. The main focus of the ACi SoD Case Study is directed towards underexplored complex delivery challenges. It will also focus on processes that development actors routinely grapple with; what they are, when they arise, and how they can be addressed, as well as detailed accounts on delivery techniques, strategies, and experiences of the twists and turns of the implementation process.

Postulez dès maintenant! Devenir un Maître Formateur de cajou!

Le programme cible 60 participants qui travaillent dans le secteur privé et public ainsi que dans les ONG de promotion des chaînes de valeur de cajou en Afrique de l'Ouest.

Si vous êtes un consultant avec une grande expérience dans le secteur ou expert de la chaîne de valeur, un formateur ou un chercheur sur le cajou ou autres cultures, un acheteur de la noix de cajou ou commerçant, et si vous travaillez dans une entreprise de transformation, au sein du gouvernement ou de ses structures de soutien avec un accent sur les noix de cajou, alors ce programme est le votre.  

Voici ce qu'il faut savoir sur le programme: Le programme de formation de maîtres formateurs commence en Mai et a une durée de 7-8 mois. Il comprend trois sessions; 1 semaine de séances de classe qui ont lieu respectivement au Burkina Faso, au Ghana et en Côte d'Ivoire. Chaque session se concentre sur un ensemble spécifique de modules techniques tout au long de la chaîne de valeur de la noix de cajou. Entre les séances de classe, des activités sur le terrain appelées intersessions sont prévues pour un durée de trois mois au maximum. Au cours de ces intersessions, les participants retournent à leurs propre structures, pour partager les connaissances acquises avec leurs collègues et faire des travaux pratiques sur le terrain pour mettre en pratique ce qu'ils ont appris. Pour lier les connaissances théoriques à la pratique, les modules et les activités techniques correspondent aux calendriers de production, de transformation et de commercialisation des noix de cajou. Les sessions de formation sont facilitées par des experts dans le secteur, en français et à la fois en anglais. La préférence sera accordée aux participants des pays de iCA: Bénin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire et le Ghana. Toutefois, les candidats de pays non-iCA sont également invités à participer et à envoyer leurs candidatures.

Avons-nous éveillé votre intérêt? Envoyez votre candidature à Mr. André Tandjiekpon, Chargé du programme de formation des Maitres Formateurs :  andre.tandjiekpon@giz.de
 

  Annexe 1:Formulaire de Candidature du Programme des Maitres Formateurs

Annexe 2: Formulaire de Curriculum Vitae du Programme des Maitres Formateurs

Note conceptuelle du Programme des Maitres Formateurs - Deuxième Edition

World Cashew Convention 2015, Dubai

The ACi Executive Director, Rita Weidinger, presented the sustainable supply chain model of the private-public partnership project to participants.

She also met with traders, processors, buyers and other business people especially from India and Africa, looking at possibilities of investments in increasing quantity and quality of African RCN as well as African based processing.

Cashew Week - volume 16, issue 06

Le Defi de l’industrialisation

Grace aux réformes de l’état, le secteur de l’anacarde a connu un  grand progrès particulièrement au niveau de la  production. Malgré cela, il existe toujours un défi  quant à la transformation d’anacarde au Cote d’ivoire et en Afrique en générale. C’est pour cette raison que le Conseil de Coton et Anacarde a organisé le Salon International des Equipements et des Technologies de Transformation de l'Anacarde (SIETTA) pour donner aux acteurs de la filière l’opportunité d'apprendre les technologies et les tendances modernes de transformation, des opportunités d'investissement et des affaires dans le secteur et aussi de faire le réseautage avec d'autres acteurs de l'industrie.

En savoir plus

http://www.rti.ci/dossiers_9622_eco-plus-agriculture-filiere-anacarde-le-defi-de-l-industrialisation.html

4th Call of Cashew Matching Grants Fund starts today.

1.       The Cashew Matching Grant Fund

Adopting Good Agricultural Practices results in better quality of raw cashew nuts while stable, reliable linkages between farmers, processors and buyers is extremely essential for the competitiveness of African cashews. These are the lessons the German International Cooperation (GIZ) project African Cashew initiative (ACi) and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH)  learned from years of implementing cashew sector interventions.

The ACi Cashew Matching Fund was launched in September 2012 to leverage contributions from Processors, FBOs and Buyers and/or Retailers, as well as Public research institutions, to enable them to implement specific interventions or actions that lead to desirable outcomes for the cashew sector. The ACi Cashew Matching Fund is a unique public private partnership model and the only fund for cashew worldwide.

The Matching Fund is managed by the African Cashew initiative (ACi), and commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development with participation by IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative. The ACi Cashew Matching Fund supports activities in either Improved Cashew Planting Material or Strengthening the Supply Chain of African Cashew. After the first call in September 2012, and subsequent calls in 2013 and 2014, there are presently 18 farmer linkage and research projects, with over 30 partners implementing projects amounting to  $12.18 million out of which $4.54 million is contributed by the Matching Fund Grant. Through the Fund,  about 150,000 cashew farmers are supported in four countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mozambique.

 2.       Plan for 4th Call

Call for Concepts or Full Proposals from 7th to 24th January 2015, followed by review and decision making from 25th to 31st January 2015. Contracting of successful projects will be done thereafter. Project implementation commences from 1st March 2015.

3.       Expected results & key activities:

A. Overall expected results:
- Improved quality and quantity of cashews produced, and thereby of kernels produced
- Enhanced knowledge transfer to cashew farmers
- Strong linkages and ties between processors/buyers and farmers (Effective Business linkages with farmers)
- Strengthened entrepreneurial skills of owners and staff of processing factories

- Improved market access (access to price and production information, etc.)
- Improved cashew value/supply chain

B. Key activities per project area and funding party:

Supporting information on Box 6 Business Development Services (BDS) :      

The BDS support to processors is designed to strengthen the management practices of  processors and enhance their recordkeeping and planning, to enable them build direct linkages with the financial sector for improved access to investment and working capital.  The BDS training shall include modules in financial management, administrative procedures, human resource management, market trend analysis, and business planning, among others, and should be delivered by a consulting firm with relevant experience and  skills in auditing, accounting and financial management.

Requirements:

Eligible entities that can partner to apply for the Cashew Matching Grants Fund are: i) processors for cashew nuts and apples, ii) farmer based organizations (FBOs), iii) buyers/traders who purchase cashew  kernels or apple produce from Africa, iv) international kernel retailers, and v) private sector foundations.
The partnering entities must have existing operations in Africa in cashew processing or in buying/retailing kernels from Africa at the time of their application;

• Funding ratio: Matching fund ratio of € 1 public funds (40%=maximum from our side) from to € 1.5 private funding (60%) for projects. This holds for PPPs, in regard to GA we mostly have a ratio of 50% - 50%
• Maximum grant to be requested from the matching fund €200.000,-;
• Processors who apply  should minimally meet AFS standards, and should report on progress moving beyond.
•  Private companies participating in the Matching Fund need to pay membership to ACA.
•  Project duration of maximum 12 months (1.03.2015 – 29.02.2016);
•  An application shall be made by at least two entities if they are both private sector entities (e.g. a processor partners with a buyer or retailer for a specific project;
• Business service providers to provide technical assistance are obliged to be used to guarantee good quality of all implemented activities under the Matching Fund Grant. Specifically, all activities involving training such as in Boxes 3, 4 and 6 are to be delivered through Business service providers or consultants.
• Priority is given for projects in la Côte d’Ivoire

4.       How to Apply

Please download and complete the Application Forms and submit electronically with all attachments to Cashewfund@giz.de In case of any questions please contact us through the same email-address.