Africa must stop exporting its cashew wealth

Africa’s cashew story presents a familiar and uncomfortable picture. The continent produces a large share of the world’s raw cashew nuts, yet much of the real economic value is created after the crop leaves African shores.

That cannot continue if the continent is serious about industrialisation, job creation and economic transformation.

The call by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, for African countries to invest more in cashew processing and value addition therefore deserves serious attention.

Speaking at the opening of the 2026 African Cashew Alliance Annual Cashew Conference and Exhibition in Accra yesterday, the Minister made a point that should be at the heart of Africa’s agricultural policy: producing more is not enough. Africa must also capture more value from what it produces.

The figures make the case compelling. Africa produces about 60 per cent of the world’s cashew, yet it receives only a relatively small share of the value generated from the commodity.

More than 700,000 tonnes, representing about 20 per cent of African cashew production, was processed on the continent in 2025.

That is progress, but it also shows how much more remains to be done.

For countries such as Ghana, the opportunity goes beyond exporting kernels.

Processing can create jobs, support local businesses, generate foreign exchange and stimulate investment in manufacturing, packaging, transportation and other related industries.

It can also create opportunities for young people and women, who are already active across the cashew value chain.

But value addition will not happen simply because governments announce it as a policy objective. It requires deliberate and sustained investment.

African governments must create conditions that make processing commercially viable.

This means reliable infrastructure, access to affordable finance, modern technology, research and development, efficient regulation and predictable policies.

Processors must also be supported to improve their capacity and compete in international markets. At the same time, the farmer cannot be forgotten in the rush towards industrialisation.

A value chain that creates factories but leaves farmers struggling is neither sustainable nor fair.

Farmers must receive incomes that justify their investment and encourage them to remain in the industry.

Better planting materials, extension services, climate-resilient production methods, quality assurance and access to markets are therefore just as important as establishing processing plants.

The Minister was also right to stress that no single African country can transform the sector alone.

Pests and diseases do not respect borders, neither does climate change. African countries must cooperate on research, standards, technology, trade and market development.

Regional collaboration can also help create the scale needed to attract investment and compete effectively in the global market.

There is another important dimension. As the Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy in Ghana, Mrs Janine Walz, pointed out, women play important roles throughout the cashew value chain but often have limited access to finance, technology and markets.

Supporting them is therefore not charity. It is sound economic policy. When women-owned businesses grow, the benefits extend to families and communities.

The African Cashew Alliance conference should not end with speeches, declarations and photographs.

Governments, investors, processors, farmers, development partners and financial institutions must leave the conference with practical commitments, timelines and investments that can be tracked.

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