Spotlight Agriculture Co-op capacity: making cashew pay The cashew industry is the lifeblood of Guinea-Bissau. One of the poorest countries in the world (ranking 176th of the 186 countries on the UN’s Human Development Index), the West African state is amongst the world’s top 10 cashew exporters, but with only 1% of the nuts actually being processed locally, the impact of the industry on the nation’s development is limited. The potential is clear. Around the country, but especially in regions like Bafatá and Cacheu, where up to 90% of the population is dependent on the crop, developing the cashew value chain offers a route from poverty to opportunity for thousands of families. With the support of the European Union, SNV and local cashew promotion centre FUNDEI-CPC have been working to harness this potential, supporting the development of the cashew value chain by improving local processing, diversifying the cashewbased products that are sold and negotiating improved contracts with traders and exporters. In Cacheu, the Buwondena marketing cooperative in Ingoré is a processing centre for local cashew smallholders and smallholders’ associations. SNV organises training programmes at Buwondena to develop local capacity and expertise in cashew production. Members of the cooperative are trained in production methods that bring the raw cashew nuts from 60kg sacks in the cooperative warehouse to 100g packages of ready-to-eat cashews for consumers. It’s a complex production process, and the training programme addresses each step carefully in order to increase local capacity for adding value to the raw crop. In Bafatá, SNV has been working with the Naforé cooperative to identify 16 CONNECT #2 JULY 2013 “I cannot express my gratitude fully to SNV. They made it possible for me to decide my own future.” Adama Baldé, Naforé Cashew Cooperative new income-generating activities and products for the cashew producers, allowing them to diversify their activities. So far, this has included production of cashew apple juice, processing of harvested cashew into white nuts and the production of cashew biscuits with nuts that have been broken in processing. But SNV’s efforts don’t stop on the factory floor. In addition to stimulating improvements and innovations in cashew production methods, the project has promoted cooperation between cashew producers, resulting in the new Procaju label. The Procaju brand is providing an umbrella for the producers to hold joint marketing campaigns, as well as contributing to their ability to collaborate on larger orders for export – a win for all involved! With these successes under its belt, the project is continuing to build the capacity of Guinea-Bissau’s cashew producers, aiming to reach 10% of producers in the Bafatá and Cacheu regions – some 2,000 people – in 2013. For more on our work in Agriculture, visit www.snvworld.org/agriculture. Pagina 15
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