CNV Internationaal cashew supply chain sustainability Afrikadag 2026, Digi Mart USA News: CNV Internationaal is organizing a meeting during Afrikadag 2026 on making the international cashew supply chain more sustainable. Companies, policymakers and civil society organizations will discuss how economic development can go hand in hand with better working conditions and stronger labor rights.
The cashew sector provides work and income for millions of people in Africa. At the same time, it faces challenges related to incomes, working conditions, local processing and climate change.
A key concern is how more economic value can remain in producing countries, and how companies can gain better insight into working conditions across their supply chains.
The meeting will focus on Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cashew producer, which is investing increasingly in local cashew processing. According to CNV Internationaal, this offers opportunities for additional jobs and economic development, but growth in the processing industry must also be accompanied by attention to wages, workplace safety and workers’ rights.
Together with representatives from business, politics and civil society, the organization will discuss the role that responsible purchasing, investment, cooperation and social dialogue can play in developing the sector. The discussion will also consider the position of workers and ways to anchor worker participation more firmly in local production chains.
Contributions to the meeting will come from Cynthia Niamoutie, director of Ivorian cashew company CILAGRI CAJOU, Catarina Vieira, Member of the European Parliament on behalf of PRO Europa, Francisca van Dusseldorp, Africa regional coordinator at CNV Internationaal, and Anne Wehkamp, strategic policy advisor at CNV Internationaal.
