Women play an important role in the cashew value chain in Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone, but they face particular hurdles that can prevent their business efforts from achieving their full potential.
One big challenge is the lack of recognition of women’s role in the sector, which means that there is limited awareness among extension staff at major exporters and business support organizations about their needs. As a result, extension staff may not design their services in a way that includes women producers or responds to their specific circumstances.
That is why the International Trade Centre (ITC), with the support of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), has set up a SheTrades West Africa project to change mindsets, and therefore opportunities. This project is active in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and also incorporates the shea and cassava value chains.
In Côte d’Ivoire, which leads the world in cashew production, ITC joined forces with Olam Ivoire, a subsidiary of Olam Food Ingredients (ofi), to train extension staff on gender-sensitive approaches. Through this training, the goal has been to make it easier for women producers to access extension training that suits their needs, while putting them in a better position to inform where the revenue from production and trade goes.
SheTrades West Africa’s work in Côte d’Ivoire includes producing gender-specific training materials on the cashew value chain. Thus far, 5,000 women farmers have used the resources developed under the project or taken part in training from the extension staff. The Olam Ivoire team reports that the support has been critical for including more women producers in their supplier base.
‘As a responsible pioneer and leader in the cashew industry, our goal is to support the development of the sector in a sustainable way,’ Diomande Daouda, Cashew Sustainability Manager for Côte d’Ivoire at ofi, told ITC when the partnership kicked off. ‘Throughout our sourcing networks and processing facilities, we support women through literacy classes, health awareness programmes, and professional development initiatives, designed to build confidence, motivation, and financial autonomy.’
An Ivorian woman farmer told ITC that the support has changed her life, and her family’s financial situation, for the better. ‘Thanks to my cashew business, I can also take care of some expenditures in my house,’ she said.
Similar results can be seen in Sierra Leone, where a key partner is cashew exporter Mel-O Africa. ITC’s work has focused on training extension staff, while ensuring they have the resources to support women cashew producers. The training has covered gender-specific issues, along with Good Agricultural Practices (G.A.P.), and the lessons have been shared with farming households in Sierra Leone’s Karene District.
This training, farmers say, is critical for boosting productivity, while making it easier for women to take part in decisions that affect them and enable a more equal division of labour between genders.
‘The G.A.P. training and the supply of cassava cuttings were very beneficial for me and my family because it helped me to solve most of my problems. The replanted cassava cuttings will continue to benefit us in the next coming years as I will keep replanting it yearly,’ said Aminata Fornah, who chairs a cashew growing community known as Rorenka village.
In both countries, ITC’s approach is informed by feedback from stakeholders on the ground, as well as the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and the results of SheTrades Outlook assessments that map out the policy and business landscape for women traders.
The goal now is for participating companies and business support organizations to keep using and developing inclusive extension practices. For instance, L’Agence Nationale d’Appui au Développement Rural (ANADER) in Côte d’Ivoire has crafted a plan for its extension agents to train 3,000 cashew producers, including women, as well as men and their wives, to achieve a more gender-inclusive value chain across the country.
Meanwhile, women producers who have undertaken these trainings can share lessons with others. With more women cashew producers able to earn greater revenues, many have told ITC that this money can help them build their businesses, support their communities, and fulfil personal needs such as school fees for their children.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.