ComCashew and the Sustainable Nut Initiative (SNI) have publicly announced the intensification of their cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the SIETTA – ACA Annual Cashew Conference & Expo 2018  in Abidjan. SNI is the private sector platform for a sustainable nut sector and ComCashew is GIZ’s public programme for the cashew sector. Whitin their cooperation SNI and ComCashew are planning to scale up impact to make the cashew sector more sustainable and add value to the African economy.

The MOU was signed SNI chairman Wim Schipper and GIZ/ComCashew director Florian Winckler during the Sietta and African Cashew Alliance Conference 2018. With the signing of the cooperation agreement the two partners aim at aligning and scaling up their sustainability impact in the African cashew sector. SNI’s members are committed to improve the transparency in the nut chain, strengthening the relationship with farmer cooperatives and working towards volume and quality improvement. ComCashew is already working with several SNI members to improve the livelihood of farmers and workers in the sector and is involved in the local policy dialogue to make the policy environment more favourable for a flourishing African cashew sector.

GIZ director Florian Winckler “There is a growing desire of end consumers to know where their product is coming from and I know the cashew industry has a lot of interesting stories to tell to them. But these stories have to be based on reliable data. SNI and ComCashew perfectly complement each other and can make an effort to improve traceability and sustainability in the chain”.

SNI Board Chairman and Intersnack Procurement Director Food, Wim Schipper: “Improvement of the livelihood of farmers, safe and healthy circumstances in the factories and a flourishing cashew sector in Africa, that is a goal SNI and ComCashew are sharing. I am happy that we are strengthening ties with ComCashew and have public and private frontrunners aligned to make an impact”

ComCashew will encourage companies that apply for funding to become an SNI member and implement the tools and way of working of SNI. All nut companies are very much welcome in SNI.