Côte d’Ivoire is seeking to take a new step in the development of one of its key agricultural commodities: cashew nuts. The country wants to gradually move away from a model based largely on exporting raw production and develop greater domestic processing capacity. The objective responds to a major economic imperative: keeping more value added within the national economy.

The cashew industry is strategically important for Côte d’Ivoire and provides income for a large number of farmers. The 2026 farm-gate price was set at 400 CFA francs per kilogram, amid significant changes in international market conditions. But the real challenge is no longer simply agricultural production. It is now industrial. Local processing makes it possible to create industrial jobs, develop technical skills, expand logistics activities and create new opportunities for domestic companies.

Côte d’Ivoire is therefore seeking to strengthen its national value chains. The strategy also aims to reduce dependence on exports of unprocessed agricultural commodities. This approach reflects a broader trend across Africa: producing more, but above all processing more locally.

International competition nevertheless requires greater productivity within processing facilities. Companies also need competitive access to energy, financing, equipment and international markets. Cashew processing is therefore becoming a test of Côte d’Ivoire’s ability to move from agriculture towards agro-industry.The challenge is particularly significant as regional competition intensifies. The country must build an integrated value chain linking farmers, processing industries and international markets. This approach could also encourage the emergence of specialized SMEs in packaging, logistics and industrial services.

The issue therefore goes far beyond cashew nuts.

It raises a fundamental question for Africa: how can local raw materials be transformed into genuine engines of industrialization? Côte d’Ivoire’s strategy could become a model for other agricultural sectors across the continent.The real challenge is no longer simply producing cashew nuts, but generating more wealth from the cashew nut value chain.