New challenges

I would like to inform that I'll be leaving my responsibilities in Cashew International to start my own projects here in Spain. It has been a difficult decision as I feel with David and Gerard as father of this project and it has brought a lot in terms of personal growth, knowledge, human relationships and social and economic development.

Cashew International has been developing projects in West Africa to support the region economically and socially in a way that we understand responsible and it will continue with same philosophy and objectives in the future. It is not the moment of measuring objectives as our project is still being developed but if I could think about these three years of Cashew International I am very proud of what we have done. Developing private businesses in West Africa as a way of improving the region in economic and social terms, to have stablished long-term relationships around the world based in trust and transparency with our partners, suppliers, customers, NGOs, public-private projects, and to achieve to know the value chain of the cashew in our projects to share fairly these values among the partners. Sometimes it has been difficult but we have continued in the only way we know, following our principles and values to develop the project.

Gerard is taking over my responsibilities so you can please feel free of reaching him anytime at gerard@candor-ags.com.

I would like to thank you to the Cashew International and Candor-AGS team and our partners involved in the projects we are currently doing for the support, commitment, professionalism and specially for giving a human perspective to business and wish for all you a Happy New Year.

Javier

Africa Rising

"Africa Rising" is the title of last's week front page of "The Economist". This title was very indicative as a decade ago the same "The Economist" wrote an article about "Africa: the hopeless continent".

It seems that things are changing. It is difficult to say why as there are many factors: the increase of direct investments, the entrance of technology in the continent, the boom of relationships between developing countries (China, India, Brasil) that has invested and changed the way of doing business in Africa, the increase of stability in some countries, the increase of the price of commodities. Despite the difficulties to mention the factors what we can realize today is that Africa has changed at least the expectations in economical terms have increased.

These are good news but not enough. There is a lot to do: basically how to drive this economic expectation to an increase in the continent welfare and standard of living and how to reduce inequalities while the continent is growing.

Going deeper into the subject "The Economist" has another article inside titled "The sun shines bright" where it explains about the keys of these changes in the last decade and the challenges in the next future.

In addition to the well known factors as increase of GDP last years, reduction of inflation, increase of trading with rest of the world and inside the continent, reduction of foreign debts, reduction of public deficits there are many other considerations that brings hope to find in these times the definitive growth that will bring a general increase in terms of health, education, social protection similar to Asian tigers two decades ago.

These considerations are:

- The foreign direct investment (FDI) has increased more than double of total aid (when ten years ago was similar amount).
- Only a third of the economic growth is due to commodities so sales of minerals, oil, gold,... are still important but it exists a growth in other sectors (technology, banking, communications, transport).
- Political stability increases the growth of the countries. There are more countries that hold elections than before and in the north of Africa social movements are defeating dictators. We all know there are a lot to do in political terms in the continent but an improving comparing past times is a reality.
- Access to technology. Mobile phones have penetrated into the bush. Also internet services allow to increase trading and access to information. Technology is also aiding health care. Bed nets have reduced mortality and treatments are more effective today.

As we mentioned before there are still a lot of things to do to confirm this expectation about Africa and to improve the way of sharing these growth throughout the continent but it is encouraging to realize that African comet is starting to fly high.

African Cashew Initiative

As part of the African Cashew Initiative (ACi) I would like to present the new website that ACi has created for this project.

The African Cashew initiative (ACi) focuses on organizing and supporting cashew producers in five African project countries in order to enable them to increase their yields and the quality of their products, to improve business linkages with the medium and large scale processing industry, brokers and traders and develop advanced marketing strategies (including quality management). ACi fulfills its project components through its implementing and contributing partners.

I have also added a link of this website on the right side of the blog for interested readers. It is a pleasure being part of this cooperative cashew project focused in Africa.

Public-Private Partnerships

Public-Private Partnerships are being developed around the World. The regional government of Catalonia in Spain through ACC10, a public institution for supporting the internationalization of catalan companies, has developed a meeting to talk about the increase of this kind of alliances and it was a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to participate and make a presentation of our project.

The video is in catalan so I am sorry for not being available for everybody.

Public-Private Partnerships and Development Alliances

The supply of cashews: a challenge for local processing units in Burkina Faso

Today's post has been also written by Mme. Raïssa and Mr. Kalifa with the second part of cashew sourcing in West Africa. We can read it also in french and english:

Approvisionnement des noix de cajou: un défi pour les unités locales de transformation de cajou au Burkina Faso

La croissance de la demande mondiale de cajou ces dernières années s’est traduite dans les pays africains par l’arrivée massive de nombreux acheteurs étrangers, notamment en provenance de l’Inde.

En 2010, les unités locales de transformations de la noix de cajou ont durement ressenties l’effet de la flambée des prix de la noix de cajou dû à la spéculation des divers acteurs intervenant dans la chaine des approvisionnements: producteurs, collecteurs, commerçants, acheteurs-exportateurs. La plupart de ces unités de transformation n’ont pas pu produire durant toute l’année par manque de la matière première noix.

En 2011, avec des difficultés de mobilisation des fonds et la nécessité de rétablir la confiance avec les clients non satisfaits l’année écoulée, la campagne de production s’annonce décisive pour les unités de transformation burkinabè de la noix de cajou. Celles-ci doivent en outre prévoir une éventuelle arrivée des acheteurs de la noix de la Côte d’Ivoire (premier producteur de la noix de cajou en Afrique) avec la crise politique dans ce pays, afin de définir la stratégie appropriée pour garantir leurs approvisionnements en noix de qualité et quantité suffisante.

Dans ce contexte, le renforcement du partenariat producteurs-unités de transformation s’impose pour réduire l’implication de nombreux intermédiaires qui font flamber les prix. L’organisation d’ateliers, de sorties de prospection auprès des fournisseurs permettent de maintenir le contact avec ceux-ci, d’échanger des informations et voir l’évolution de la campagne.

Le responsable approvisionnement de la Sotria-B et les responsables financiers de Cashew International sont conscients de cette nécessité dans la région des cascades.

La survie des unités locales de transformation de noix au Burkina Faso dépend pour cette année de leur capacité à disposer de noix de cajou. Aussi, ces acteurs devraient s’organiser pour trouver une réponse adéquate aux fluctuations incontrôlées du prix de la matière première noix de cajou dans leurs zones d’approvisionnement.

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The supply of cashews: a challenge for local processing units in Burkina Faso

The growth of cashews world demand in recent years has affected in African countries by the arrival of many foreign buyers, particularly from India.

In 2010, local cashew processing units have felt the impact of the soaring price of cashew nuts due to speculation by various actors in the supply chain: producers, collectors, traders, buyers-exporters. Most of these processing units have not been able to produce throughout the year due to lack of raw nuts.

In 2011, with difficulties in mobilizing funds and the need to restore trust with customers unmet last year, the production campaign will be decisive for the burkinabe processing units. They must also provide a possible arrival of cashew buyers from Ivory Coast (the largest producer of cashew nuts in Africa) because the political crisis in this country, to define the appropriate strategy to ensure their cashew nuts supplies in quality and quantity.

In this context, strengthening the partnership producers-processors is needed to reduce the involvement of numerous intermediaries who drive up prices. The organization of workshops, field trips for suppliers can maintain contact with them, exchange information and see the evolution of the campaign.

The responsible of the supply of Sotria-B and the financial responsibles of Cashew International are aware of this need in “les cascades” area.

The survival of local processing units in Burkina Faso for this year depends on their ability to source of cashews. Also, these actors should organize themselves to find an adequate response to price movements of raw cashew nuts in their supply areas.

The harvest of cashew nuts in the region of Les Cascades (Burkina Faso)

Next post has been written by Raïssa and Kalifa, the Cashew International employees based in Burkina Faso. We can read it in french and english below:

La récolte des noix de cajou dans la région des cascades (Burkina Faso):

La région des cascades est l’une des treize régions du Burkina Faso, pays situé en Afrique de l’Ouest. Elle regorge d’énormes potentialités culturales du fait de la fertilité de son sol. L’anacardier, l’une des plantes les plus cultivées de cette région est appréciée à travers sa noix qui procure d’énormes revenus aux producteurs. Les mois de janvier à mai constituent les principaux mois de récolte des noix de cajou.

La récolte de la noix de cajou est une activité essentielle pour le producteur car la qualité de la noix qui sera issue influence le prix de vente et partant le revenu du producteur. Une bonne préparation de cette récolte s’impose par l’observation de certaines règles:

-Ramassage des fruits et des noix tombées tous les jours: la qualité des noix se détériore très vite si elles sont laissées sur le sol pendant longtemps et le taux d’humidité s’augmente ce qui peut provoquer le développement de moisissures (pourriture, etc.). Il ne faut jamais cueillir la noix de cajou lorsqu’elle est sur l’arbre. Pour un producteur exploitant 10 ha, l’aide des membres de sa famille ne lui sera pas suffisante. Il lui faudra une main d’œuvre supplémentaire.

- Séparation de la noix de la pomme immédiatement en utilisant un couteau si nécessaire. Il est déconseillé de stocker ou d’entasser les noix avec la pomme encore attachée car cela augmente l’humidité.

- Séchage des noix sur une surface dure / surface non absorbante. Dans les villages on utilise souvent la véranda de devant la maison ou un espace aménagé dans le verger.

L'observation des régles de bonne récolte permet d'améliorer la qualité de la noix qui sera soit stockée, soit immédiatement vendus. Après cette étape de récolte, le producteur devrait faire un effort supplémentaire dans le transport et le stockage de ses noix pour préserver leurs qualités jusqu'aux unités de transformations ou aux acheteurs qui s'y intéresserons.

Il est donc temps pour les producteurs burkinabè de se mettre au travail pour assurer la qualité des noix qui seront récoltées et permettre aux entreprises de transformation comme la Sotria-B de disposer des noix de qualité.

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The harvest of cashew nuts in the region of Les Cascades (Burkina Faso):

The region of Les Cascades is one of the thirteen regions of Burkina Faso, a country situated in West Africa. It holds tremendous potential for cultivation because of its fertile soil. The cashew tree, one of the most cultivated plants of this region is assessed through its nuts which provide enormous revenur to producers. The months from January to May are the main harvest months of cashews.

The harvesting of the cashew is a key activity for the producer because the quality of the nuts that will influence the selling price and therefore the producer's income. Adequately preparation of the crop is needed by observing certain rules:

-Collection of fallen fruits and nuts every day: the quality of the nut deteriorate quickly if left on the floor for a long time and augments the humidity which can cause mold growth. It should never pick the cashews while they are in the tree. For a 10ha producer, he will not be sufficient with members of his family. He will have an additional labor.

- Separation of the nut and the apple immediately using a knife if necessary. It is not advisable to store or pile the nuts with the apple still attached as it increases the humidity.

- Drying of nuts on a hard surface/non-absorbent surface. In the villages is often used a place outside the house or a space located in the orchard.

Observing the rules of good harvest it improves the quality of nuts that will be stored or immediately sold. After this stage of harvest, producers should make an extra effort in the transport and storage of the nuts to maintain their grades up to the local processing units or buyers who will be interested.

It is time for producers of Burkina Faso to work to ensure the quality of nuts to be harvested and to enable processing companies like Sotria-B to have quality nuts.

The African Challengers

The world, despite the international crisis, is still increasing the economic globalization. We can read hundreds of articles and studies about emerging countries, mainly the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) but not easy to find african reports in these kind of "global economy analysis".

The boston Consulting Group (BCG) has published a study about African evolution in a global market. It analyzes some African companies that want to compete in a global economy and details some advantages and challenges of the region.


I am sure that in Africa it exists opportunities, the interest of China, India and developed countries shows that, but the main interest today is to take these opportunities without stimulate inequalities, that it seems quite more difficult.

African countries are growing more than world average but the problem is inside these statistics. Despite the GDP growth in African countries most part of the population does not benefit in the same way. And between countries we can see easily big differences also. It's interesting to note that in this study 77,5% of the studied companies comes from 3 countries that explains that major part of the region is not having the same benefits of the growth that African statistics show.

BCG study

Cashew International in local press

Education, awareness about social development in developed countries is more needed than ever. The increase of inequalities and the current crisis generate the obligation to increase the percentage of people working together for a complete development, including environment, economic and social development.

In addition, changing the way of looking the labour market it will be a necessity with high rates of unemployment like developed countries like Spain that it will force to change the model to another more efficient.

Last September the newspaper "Indicador de Economia" a local newspaper from Tarragona province in Spain focused in economy has done an article about Cashew International, the project and the business model.

I believe completely in this way of communication and I would like to thank you to "Indicador de Economía" to give me the possibility of collaborate in this work of education and awareness for changing and improve current social and economic models.

Article

Partnership with SOTRIA-B

It's a pleasure to announce the partnership between SOTRIA-B and Cashew International.

SOTRIA-B is a burkinabe company based in Banfora that process cashews employing more than 200 workers mainly women.



The partnership between SOTRIA-B and Cashew International includes advising, financing and commercial agreements.

It's our wish to support local processors in West Africa working as partners being involved in all the branches that is needed and be focused in the social and economic development of the company and the community around the company.

Partnership between SOTRIA-B and Cashew International

The Cashew Family increases

I am very pleased to announce that the Cashew Family increases. Raïssa and Kalifa are both burkinabes and they start working in the Cashew International project.


It's our intention to work together with local communities and local people as the best way to support local companies to reach the international standards and to be ready to compete with the rest of the world improving the local economy and the social environment.

Raïssa and Kalifa have the Degree and Master in Economics, they are eager of supporting the development of the project with very good ideas. I am happy because of the possibility of working together. I am convinced that their knowledge and perspective will improve our work in Burkina Faso supporting local companies in advising, financing and trading.