The potential for poverty alleviation by improving local processing of raw cashew nuts is high! Processing plants, mostly located in rural areas, create jobs, support local farming communities and contribute to the industrial development of the country.

The global market for cashew kernels is growing, but African countries that produce more than half of the world's harvest are not benefiting as much as they should. Ivorian farmers produce around 40% of the world's raw cashew nuts, but less than 20% of the harvest is processed into cashew kernels inside the country. Thus, our country's economy retains only a small portion of the value created when the nut travels from the farm to the stores, mainly in Europe and North America.

Cashew kernel processing units in Ivory Coast can easily provide traceability down to the farmer level! The purchase of the raw material is linked to defined cooperatives of producers, generally located in the geographical proximity of the factory. The links between producers and factories are therefore close and often go well beyond the simple purchase of raw cashew nuts. Many member factories of the GIC-CI are directly involved in supporting local producers in the development of their agricultural practices as well as in the social development of their communities.

End-to-end traceability is essential to advancing food safety, quality and sustainability in value chains. It is becoming increasingly important for consumers and actors throughout the production chain. Traceability creates trust and ensures transparency. Consumers today – especially in high-end markets such as the cashew kernel segment – expect very specific product information, such as photos and the location of raw material producers,  

all accessible within a few taps on their smartphone.

Cashews processed into kernels close to their growing area significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the final consumer product! At present, most raw cashew nuts grown in African countries are still transported to East Asia for processing; and the kernels are then transported again to consumer countries in Europe and North America.

When cashews are processed in Côte d'Ivoire, the distance they travel around the world is five to seven times shorter than when they are processed in East Asia. Moreover, only kernels – which constitute only around 30% of raw inshell cashews – are transported long distances, when the nuts are processed close to their harvesting area. Imagine that today 70% of the volume of a raw cashew nut is transported around half the world before cracking the nut. Some European companies have calculated that they save up to 90% CO2 when sourcing cashew kernels from West Africa. The exact amount depends on each company's individual supply chain, but certainly a very large amount of CO2 can be saved by looking at processors such as GIC-CI members.