Cashew Value Chain Competitiveness Project

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The development objective Cashew Value-Chain Competitiveness Project is to increase cashew productivity, quality and value-added, benefiting smallholder farmers and the cashew processing industry in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. This project has four components. 1) The first component, Institutional Strengthening and Value-Chain Governance, aims to improve the organization and governance of the cashew value chain to reduce marketing costs and ultimately enhance competitiveness and inclusiveness of small-scale farmers. 2) The second component, Productivity Enhancement and Improved Access to Raw Cashew Nut (RCN) Market, seeks to increase on-farm cashew productivity and improve access to the market for RCNs. 3) The third component, Support to Private Investment in Post-Harvest and Processing Infrastructure, aims to increase the volume and value addition of locally processed RCNs through an integrated mix of interventions at three levels: (i) support to the cashew storage and processing infrastructure; (ii) increased access to investment capital and risk management instruments for cashew value chain participants; and (iii) development of cashew markets and trade. 4) The fourth component, Project Coordination, Monitoring, and Knowledge Management, aims to facilitate: (a) administrative, technical, and financial management of the project; (b) coordination among all institutional partners to ensure the efficient flow of information and support to all value-chain actors, particularly small-scale cashew growers and the processing industry; (c) effective contractual arrangements with key State implementing partners in particular the Inter-professional Fund for Agricultural Research and Advisory Services (FIRCA) as well as private sector operators; (d) monitoring and evaluation of the project’s performance on procurement, financial management, environmental, and social impact; and (e) development of communication activities to publicize and disseminate project results, best practices, and success stories.