African Cashew Initiative
Terms of reference for Advisor for Cashew Sector Organisation
PROJECT DESCRIPTION – THE AFRICAN CASHEW INITIATIVE
About 1.5 million cashew farmers in Africa produce nearly 40 % of the global cashew crop.
Cashews therefore contribute about 20 % to farmer household income. Nevertheless, 90 % of
these small-hold cashew farmers living in deprived areas receive an annual income of only 120450 USD. In order to compete on the international market and to increase farmer’s annual
income, Africa’s cashew industry has had to restructure and achieve an international standard
of competitiveness.
Therefore the African Cashew initiative (ACi) aims at boosting the competitiveness of the
cashew value chain and achieving a sustainable reduction of poverty in the five project
countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Mozambique. The main tasks of the
project are: (1) to increase efficiency, quantity and quality of primary production, (2) to
enhance the cashew processing in cooperation with actors of the international private sector,
(3) to improve the market linkages along the cashew value chain and promote African cashews,
and (4) to establish an improved environment for investments and value addition along the
cashew value chain, with better organization and coordination of the cashew sector.
The African Cashew initiative ACi presents a new and innovative model of broad-based multi‐
stakeholder partnership in development cooperation. ACi, is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
(BMZ). Private and public companies are also contributing in cash and inkind. These are: Kraft
Foods, Olam, Intersnack, Trade and Development Group, SAP, Oltremare (Phase 1 only), the
African Cashew Alliance, the Conseil Coton Anacarde Côte d´Ivoire, INCAJU Mozambique,
Ministry of Food and Agriculture Ghana.
Through ACi, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (German
International Cooperation), and its implementing partners Technoserve and FairmatchSupport
provide training on technical issues, as well as business advice to farmers, processors and
facilitate linkages between farmers and processors.
ACi has accumulated valuable experience and knowledge in the production and processing of
cashew nuts and its by-products and this resource is shared with industry, notably processors
and potential investors in the cashew processing sector in Africa. The vision for ACi success in
April 2016 is that the average additional annual family income of 430,000 cashew farmers
trained by ACi will be at least $600 per farmer.
ACi has started in 2009 and is has one more year left of its 2nd phase (until April 2016). Through
a combination of strategies, the initiative has already trained more than 330,000 farmers in
cultivation methods, good agricultural practices and entrepreneurial skills. On the processing
side, 20 small and medium-sized cashew processing plants with a current capacity of over
42,000 tons annually were established, thus creating additional jobs for over 5,500 people – 74
% of them being women. Farmers organized in associations experienced a rise of about 10 % in
the price for cashew nuts, thanks to a better bargaining power with dealers and their linkage to
local processors. As the African cashew industry developed, it is also increasingly important on
the political level. So far, four of the five project countries badge funding for developing the
cashew sector in their annual budget and cashews are included in their agricultural investment
funds.
As part of the second phase a Cashew Matching Grant Fund was established to accelerate
private sector driven development of the cashew industry. Private partners will be able to
design and implement projects regarding farmer linkages and improved planting material,
benefiting farmer’s productivity and income. To date, 17 Matching fund projects are
implemented, with a total cost of 8.1 million Euros, out which 3.1 million Euros grant funding.
DESCRIPTION OF TASKS
The advisor on cashew sector organization will be coordinating and advising in order to achieve
outputs and activities of the component 4 “Strengthen the organization of the cashew sector”
within the African Cashew initiative. This component aims at organizing key stakeholders at the
national level around common goals, an effectively represented processing industry by a
professional industry association, and various government and donor programs supporting the
sector operating in alignment. The country interventions of this component are demand driven.
The focus of the work shall be on regional knowledge sharing and active implication of the
actors in this process.
The advisor is planning and steering this component, including content organization and
methodological approaches. She/he collaborates intensively with the larger advisory team of
ACi, as well as with ACA technical staff, and with staff and consultants of GIZ bilateral projects
active in the cashew sector.
She/he cooperates, advises and negotiates with national project partners – agric ministries and
research organizations, and government, donor and NGO funded projects regarding activities in
support of the cashew value chains, e.g. to develop national master plans and instigate publicprivate dialogue.
The advisor will be supervised by the Executive Director of ACi.
QUALIFICATIONS
You have a university degree in economics, agriculture, trade or related fields. You have 5
years’ professional experience in agricultural and/or agribusiness support programmes, as well
as 2 years in project management. Experience and demonstrated ability to negotiate
partnerships and cooperation amongst various organizations, which are financing and
implementing programmes in the production, agribusiness and marketing aspects in the value
chain management of agricultural commodities, are enclosed in your CV. Ideally you dispose of
a specific knowledge and experience about the African cashew value chains. Furthermore, you
have a good understanding and knowledge of trade and agribusiness policies, policy and
regulatory framework and the involved organizations.
You are a strong team player, networker, consensus builder and you have significant
interpersonal and communication skills. You are ready for high regional travel intensity. Strong
analytical skills and strategic capacities combined with fluent English and French skills complete
your profile. German and Portuguese language skills are of advantage.
CONDITIONS
Location:
Accra, Ghana
Period:
Starting Mai 2015, for 1 year
Our offer:
Level 4 of GIZ salary grid (Accra) + fringe benefits
Closing Date: 25th March 2015
Email:
hr-ghana@giz.de