<p>A Guide to Good Traceability Practices for the Cashew Sector to Improve SME Access to the Cashew Processing Market in Côte d'Ivoire, the World's Largest Cashew Producer, was launched this Tuesday, February 12, 2019, in the premises of the World Bank (WB) in Abidjan. </p><p>The document was developed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a branch of the World Bank, in partnership with the State of Côte d'Ivoire, the Government of Canada, and the Coton-Anacarde Council CCA), a body responsible for regulating the sector. It aims to accompany the Coton-Anacarde Council to train cashew processors in product traceability in order to improve market access for SMEs in the cashew nut processing sector in Côte d'Ivoire. 'Ivory. </p> <p>"The purpose of this tool is to build the capacity of cashew processors to implement a quality management system in accordance with the regulatory and commercial requirements of the international market and meet clear international market requirements. If Côte d'Ivoire wants to export products with very high added value, it must meet the quality and safety requirements of international markets such as those of the European Union or North America, "said David Ivanovic, agro-business specialist at IFC. </p> <p>It is therefore a tool of the strategy of accompaniment of the Cotton-Cashew Council to answer the needs of the companies which transform the cashew nut which will allow to manage the information within a factory, the quality as well as all that come in and out in terms of products. This will have the advantage of making Côte d'Ivoire competitive in the cashew processing sector, in the face of exporters of raw cashew nuts who, in turn, have access to cheaper capital that comes from India or of Vietnam</p> <p>IFC, supported by Canada, has implemented the "Investment Climate Agribusiness" program, which aims to support the Ivorian government in upgrading cashew processed products to standards and standards, and to facilitate access to financing for actors in the sector.</p> <p>According to Canada's Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, Julie Shouldice, the launch of the Good Traceability Guide is part of a $ 10 million ($ 5.8 billion) Canadian-funded multi-country project funded by Canada and which aims to improve market access for small and medium-sized farmers in Kenya, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire. Ivory</p> <p>This project is also part of Canada's International Women's Aid Policy, launched in 2017 with a focus on inclusive growth, and is part of pan-African funding. In Côte d'Ivoire, it is expected to increase private investment and create jobs.</p> It is worth noting that Côte d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer of cashew nuts, with production of more than 760,000 tonnes in 2018. However, nearly 90% of nuts are exported without any added value to countries like India and Vietnam. <br><p></p>