Ms. Paulina Rozycka, Head of Infrastructure and Sustainable Development at the European Union (EU) in Ghana, has underscored the EU's commitment to supporting the sustainable production and economic growth of the cashew sector in partner countries. Speaking at the sixth Council of Ministers' Conference of the Consultative International Cashew Council (CICC), Ms. Rozycka emphasized the importance of transformative policies to ensure economic progress.
The conference, themed “Projecting the Cashew Sector through local Consumption, Value Addition and Job Creation,” convened ministers, experts, researchers, and stakeholders from eleven African countries to exchange experiences and promote the cashew industry.
Ms. Rozycka expressed the EU's keen interest in seeing a thriving processing hub in Africa, closely linked to European markets and guided by inclusiveness and sustainability principles. She highlighted the potential of cashews to spearhead an agro-industry based on agroecological principles, aligning with the spirit of the EU Cashew Initiative.
Acknowledging existing interventions, Ms. Rozycka noted the EU's support for programs like the GIZ-implemented Move-ComCashew Programme and the AgroBusiness Facility for Resilient Value Chains. She highlighted the impact of these initiatives, including training programs and grants for private sector partners, to address key challenges in the cashew value chain.
Ms. Rozycka commended Ghana for its recent approval of the Tree Crops Regulation, aimed at enhancing competitiveness, productivity, profitability, and sustainability in the tree crop sector, particularly cashew.
The CICC, comprising Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo, serves as a platform for member states to collaborate on building a sustainable cashew sector.
Africa's cashew industry has emerged as a significant contributor to the continent's economic growth, with approximately 60% of the world's global raw cashew nuts produced in Africa. Notably, Cote d'Ivoire leads as the world's leading producer, highlighting the sector's potential for further development and impact.
