From Waste to Value: Unlocking Ghana’s Cashew Apple Potential Through Innovation and Partnerships
What if what was once discarded could drive jobs, innovation, and growth?
Well, this is exactly what brought 160 stakeholders from 13 countries together at the recent Regional Cashew Apple Valorization Conference and Exhibition in Accra.
Organized by the Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS Region (GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew) in collaboration with the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), the conference hosted stakeholders from government, industry, development cooperation, research and the private sector. Their mission? To identify how cashew apples - widely wasted due to its high perishability and lack of knowledge and technology – could be transformed into value, income for farmers and jobs.
In 2024, Ghana produced around 2 million metric tonnes of cashew apples, 90 to 95 percent of which went unused. Dr. Andrews Osei Okrah, Chief Executive of the Tree Crops Development Authority, noted that “this represents not just a loss of raw material, but a loss of income for farmers and processors, jobs, and industrial opportunity. To change this, TCDA aims to support the processing of 40 % of Ghana’s cashew apples in the coming years.”
For Ghana, the strategic importance of cashew apple valorization lies in its ability to address several national priorities simultaneously: agricultural transformation, private-sector development, job creation, food innovation, climate resilience, and rural industrialization. Developing this part of the value chain could generate new income opportunities for everyone involved.
Cashew apple: an untapped resource in Ghana’s cashew sector
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Mr. Kwasi Etu Bonde, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), indicated that the conference marked a turning point in efforts to move the cashew sector beyond its traditional focus on raw nut exports.
“While cashew has emerged as one of Ghana’s most strategic non-traditional export crops, our attention over the years has largely been on the raw nut, leaving the rest of the fruit underutilized…this is not just a missed opportunity it is a call to action,” he added. - Mr. Kwasi Etu Bonde
The Deputy Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MOTAI), Hon. Samson Ahi also emphasized the importance of moving beyond the export of raw materials and establishing an integrated value chain that supports processing, branding, quality standards, and market access. He highlighted the valorization of the cashew apple as a practical way to advance Ghana’s industrial transformation agenda, particularly through small and medium-sized enterprises, rural processing, and stronger links between agriculture and industry.
“The cashew apple should no longer be seen as waste. It should be treated as raw material for industry.” – Samson Ahi
Dr. Andrews Osei Okrah, Chief Executive of the Tree Crops Development Authority, also underscored the need for urgent investment and stronger partnerships to increase the value of cashew apples. By converting waste products into marketable goods, Ghana could boost farmer incomes, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance the competitiveness of the cashew sector.
He emphasized that “TCDA will support a successful cashew apple valorization strategy with coordinated action across the entire value chain. This will entail improved harvesting and aggregation systems, investment in processing technologies, food safety and quality assurance measures, product development initiatives, greater access to finance, market research activities, and closer collaboration between farmers, processors, buyers, regulators, and development partners.”
Learning from global practices
Sharing lessons from global practices, Dr. Rodolpho R. C. Monteiro, a researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), shared experiences and lessons from Brazil’s cashew apple sector. His presentation reflected how long-term investment in research and strong market orientation can turn an underutilized resource into a driver of diverse industrial opportunities.
Creating opportunities for women, youth and local businesses
Mr. Daniel Böhme, Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy stressed on the long-term commitment of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and GIZ in supporting the development of the cashew sector in Africa for the past 17 years.
“The German Government, in collaboration with national and regional partners in Africa and jointly with other funding partners such as the Gates Foundation, Swiss Secretary of State (SECO), and especially the EU and OACPS has systematically supported the cashew value chain. This includes cashew production, processing, capacity development, institution building, market access, policy reforms and regional collaboration.”
In her presentation, Mrs. Beate Weiskopf, Project Leader of GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew, highlighted the progress made since 2009, during which GIZ and its partners have trained over 45,400 farmers in Ghana, strengthening the foundation of the cashew sector. She added that over the last 10 years, more than 5,000 women and young people across the region have acquired practical skills in cashew apple processing, with many now running their own businesses and developing new products.
Beate Weiskopf also emphasized the exceptional potential of the cashew apple, noting that it contains five times more vitamin C than oranges alongside a high antioxidant content, making it a valuable resource for nutrition.
“18 new cashew apple products developed in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria are expected to be launched soon. In addition, 13 Matching Grant Fund (MGF) projects, valued at €3,085,000, are currently implementing projects on cashew apple valorization across 7 countries. Three new training courses on cashew apple processing hosted on e-MOVE | atingi have been released”
According to her “cashew apple valorization is already creating local income, but its long-term success will depend on stronger regional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation. Despite this, there is a growing international interest, with first products already entering the European market and opening new opportunities”.
Looking ahead: turning potential into progress
The conference concluded with a forward-looking discussion on how to maintain momentum and move from promising initiatives to wider sector development. Concrete next steps are to strengthen the exchange with Brazil, global champion in the cashew apple valorization, the network of the cashew apple stakeholders and develop a strategic plan involving investors and finance institutions.
The conference was organized by GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew in collaboration with the TCDA with funding support from the European Union, the Organisation of the African,Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and by the Federal Ministry Of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with various government and private sector institutions.
Download free courses on cashew apple here.
