Forty cashew farmers in the Jaman North District of the Bono Region have received specialised training to improve their advocacy and negotiation skills, enabling them to push for fairer pricing and stronger representation within the cashew value chain. The trainees, drawn from the leadership and membership of the Bono Cashew Farmers’ Cooperative Union, were equipped to engage policymakers, negotiate equitable market terms, and influence decision making processes affecting the cashew sector. The programme, held in Sampa, forms part of Phase Two of the Amplifying the Voices of Cashew Farmers Project, implemented by Cashew Watch Ghana (CWG) with funding from the STAR Ghana Foundation. Women leaders and District Directors of Agriculture from various cashew producing districts also participated in the training session. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the training, Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, National Coordinator of CWG, said the initiative aims to strengthen citizen participation, empower farmer groups, and enhance local advocacy on governance within the cashew industry. He indicated that the STAR Ghana Foundation’s support remains crucial in advancing inclusive development and active citizenship. Mr Ahenu explained that many cashew farmers continue to grapple with price instability, poor access to market information, and limited bargaining power, challenges the project seeks to address. He noted that CWG will roll out additional community engagements, policy dialogues, and media advocacy activities to reinforce reforms across the cashew sector. “The training equips farmers with the skills necessary to influence policy direction and negotiate more favourable terms. Strengthening the voice of farmers is essential to building a fairer and more transparent cashew sector,” he said. Participants were taken through modules including advocacy fundamentals, strategic communication, stakeholder engagement, policy analysis, and practical negotiation skills. Interactive sessions featuring role play, simulations, and group discussions were tailored to reflect the realities of smallholder cashew farmers. Some farmers, speaking during an open forum, described the training as timely and transformative, noting that it had increased their confidence to engage buyers, aggregators, and policy actors more effectively. The training represents a continuation of CWG’s efforts to empower cashew farmers in the Bono Region. The organisation, established in January 2019 by the Global Media Foundation, operates as a coalition of cashew farmers, media practitioners, and non governmental organisations working to promote accountability and improved livelihoods for cashew farmers across Ghana. The STAR Ghana Foundation provided a 500,000 Ghana cedis (GHC) grant in April 2025 for the implementation of Phase Two of the project in four cashew producing districts: Jaman North, Jaman South, Banda, and Tain. The project aims to reach more than 1,000 smallholder farmers directly, with an estimated 5,000 people benefiting indirectly through various awareness and advocacy campaigns. The Bono Cashew Farmers’ Cooperative Union, which was inaugurated in October 2025 at Nsawkaw in the Tain District, serves as the largest umbrella body committed to strengthening the capacity of cashew farmers and improving price regimes. The union brings together farmers from the four major cashew producing districts in the region. Mr Ahenu, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Sunyani based Global Media Foundation, stated that although cashew farmers remain a backbone to Ghana’s non traditional export economy, they continue to face challenges like price instability, limited access to improved seedlings, weak market linkages, and low levels of value addition. The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), which focuses on the development of six priority crops including cashew, has expressed support for the cooperative union. Mr Dwoden Nyantakyi, Value Chain Officer at TCDA, emphasised that when farmers are organised it becomes easier to channel support, enhance quality standards, and ensure that benefits are felt equitably across all levels. Since the implementation of the Planting for Export and Rural Development program in 2018, over 46,000 hectares of new cashew plantations have been established in the Bono Region. Thousands of farmers have received free improved cashew seedlings and support from Agricultural Extension Officers to adopt best practices, resulting in improved yields. However, pricing manipulation by aggregators and limited access to finance for farm maintenance continue to affect farmers’ profitability. The cooperative union and advocacy training initiatives seek to address these systemic challenges through collective action and stronger advocacy for fair market practices. President John Mahama announced plans earlier in 2025 to establish a cashew processing factory in the Bono Region, a move that could transform the value chain by allowing local value addition rather than exporting raw nuts. Industry stakeholders view this as a positive step toward creating more value for farmers and reducing dependence on raw nut exports.