Our Story

Let me take you
on a journey…

… that is about so much more than cashews, it’s
about people, community, self-reliance, and Africa.

History

Cashew in Africa

Produced from the rich African soils in Southern Tanzania.

Cashew nuts are historically grown in the Southern part of Tanzania. Cashew Nuts originated from Brazil and the seeds were brought to Africa by Portuguese traders in the 16th century. Cashew nuts are a generational crop in Southern Tanzania; with knowledge handed down from generation to generation. The trees are seldom under 50 years old, producing some of the best quality cashews in the world. The quality of cashews produced here has become almost folklore amongst traders; a secret kept within the raw cashew nut trading circles.

Did you know?

Cashew nuts are a seed that hangs from the apple of the cashew tree.
The seed is the first part that forms and as the fruit grows and ripens, so does the seed.

Sustainability

Ensuring that the environment and
the people are taken care of.

Today, 60% of the world’s cashew nuts are produced in Africa, with less than 10% processing being done on the continent. 90% of the cashew nuts produced in Africa are exported raw in the shell to be processed in India and Vietnam before being re-exported to Europe and North America. This is an unsustainable practice that has a

huge impact on the environment. Cashew Nuts with the shell are quite bulky; you need 4 - 5kg of raw cashew nuts to produce 1kg of cashew kernels. This means that transporting containers full of raw cashew nuts halfway around the world leaves a 4 - 5 times bigger impact on the environment.

Processing Cashew Nuts in Africa
makes sense! Period.

Community

We know every single farmer

Through community-level processing we are building intimate relationships in the cashew communities; we know every single farmer we work with. We know their dreams and aspirations. Working together ensures that we can achieve our shared goals. We pay better prices and provide additional support through training and skills development in these communities.

Our community-driven approach has led us to embark on a journey to build a community processing center in Mambamba village, where farmers and women’s groups will be able to access small automatic machines for shelling and have a secure place to add value to their cashews. We will purchase everything they produce, providing much-needed income security.

Our dream is to make sure that these communities are better off through the work that we do. We believe that we have to process our own cashews in Africa, this is the only way for farmers to earn more. Together we can change the world, you are a part of this dream.

Eat Nuts. Make Change.