Mandate:
Promote a globally competitive African cashew industry that benefits the value chain from farmer to consumer.

Geographic Scope:
The ACA has member organizations from all over the world, with the majority from Africa, especially Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Ghana, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique.

Key Partners:
• USAID
• African Cashew Initiative (ACi) funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)
• Technoserve
• Kraft Foods (Planters)
• Intersnack
• Olam

Description:
The African Cashew Alliance (ACA), established in 2006, provides support and technical assistance to cashew processors and farmers, facilitates investments, and promotes market linkages in the cashew industry. Africa is the largest producer of raw cashew nuts (RCN), growing approximately 48% of cashews globally. Smallholder production has more than doubled in the past decade, but processing remains a weakness. Regional processing is on the rise (35,000 MT in 2006 to 137,000 MT in 2014).  It is estimated that even a 25% increase in RCN processing will generate over U.S. $100 million in household income.
ACA currently consists of nearly 200 dues-paying member companies ranging from producers to processors and international buyers.  The ACA has facilitated the establishment of new cashew processing factories in the region, including the largest cashew factory in Africa.  In collaboration with the world’s largest cashew buyers - Kraft Foods, Intersnack, and Red River Foods - ACA developed the ACA Quality and Sustainability Seal program to assure compliance with international food safety, quality, and labor standards.  The ACA Seal program has provided an opportunity to grow demand on the international market for cashews processed in Africa.

Key Objectives:
• Provide technical assistance and facilitate investments
• Share information and best practices
• Increase processing of cashews within Africa
• Promote market linkages and international standards
• Encourage public-private cooperation for the cashew sector

Accomplishments under the USAID Global Development Alliance:
• More than $3.7 million in additional income for rural communities between 2013 and 2015
• Approximately 515,000 farmers and their dependents linked to the international market
• Facilitated over $147.8 million in African cashew sales
• 3,377 new jobs created between May 2013 and March 2015
• ACA Seal program approved 3 new factories and renewed ACA Seal approval for 4 factories in Africa

ACA has had a substantial impact on the West African cashew industry since the Global Development Alliance began in 2013. Since then, ACA has facilitated over $3.25 million in ACA Seal kernel sales, totaling over 5,300 metric tons and 356 containers of processed nuts for African processors. ACA activities have contributed greatly to improving market knowledge and skills of private sector enterprises, as well as creating a sustainable value chain in the international market.