Voices of the Cashew Sector – Kassimou Issaka

Kassimou Issaka, Agroeconomist and General Manager of the Territorial Agency for Agricultural Development (ATDA Pôles), gives an overview of ATDA Pôles’ work and explains how the Cashew-IN platform developed by CNFA and DG will support his work.
The Cashew-IN Platform: An Assessment of the Cashew Sectors in Five Countries (Part 2)

In the first part of this blog series, we discussed the CALM assessment of the cashew data ecosystem, key findings from the assessment, and how DG is using the findings as well as partner and stakeholder feedback to guide the development of the Cashew-IN platform, a website that will facilitate access to and use of data to improve decision-making for policymakers, farmers, and the private sector.
In this blog, we will look at the indicators on the Cashew-IN platform and what the data is telling us about the cashew sector more broadly.
The Cashew-IN Platform: A Deep Dive on Designing to Meet Stakeholder Needs (Part 1)

The Cashew-IN program, which DG started in partnership with Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture in 2020, conducted a landscape assessment of the data in the cashew sectors of five countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Nigeria. The assessment findings will inform the Cashew-IN platform, a website that the program is developing to facilitate use of data in order to improve decision-making for policymakers, farmers, and the private sector. In this blog (part 1 of 2), we explore the assessment process, findings, and how stakeholders plan to use the platform.
Great Green Wall Observatory: A New Data Platform to Support One of Africa’s Most Ambitious Efforts to Combat Climate Change

In partnership with UNCCD, GGW Accelerator, and the Pan African Agency for the GGW, DG has launched the Great Green Wall Observatory. This pioneering digital platform monitors the GGW Initiative’s progress, enhancing collaboration, accountability, and transparency across 11 African countries. By providing financial and project management data, the Observatory empowers communities, stakeholders, and policymakers to combat climate change in the Sahara and Sahel regions. With over 302 projects and $15 billion in commitments, this tool promotes robust climate action and fosters local and global engagement.
Building a Sustainable Cashew Sector in West Africa Through Data and Collaboration

Cashew-IN project came to an end in August 2024 after four years of working with government agencies, producers, traders, processors, and development partners in the five implementing countries to co-create an online tool aimed to inform, support, promote, and strengthen Africa’s cashew industry.
This blog outlines some of the key project highlights, including some of the challenges we faced, lessons learned, success stories, and identified opportunities for a more competitive cashew sector in West Africa.