Thanks to the support of BeninCajù, Benin cashews have been showcased at SIAL 2018, the world’s biggest food innovation trade show, for the very first time.
​Over 5 days, Benin processors and potential international buyers have met to discuss and sign new sales contracts of cashew kernels. Once again, the high quality of cashews from Benin was recognised and praised by many. Over 300,000 food industry key players, 7200 exhibitors from 119 countries, and 400,000 products displayed: these are the figures of SIAL Paris 2018. Benin's booth received over 500 visitors and interest from about 300 cashew buyers. The Beninese delegates managed to sell 10 containers of cashews during the tradeshow. Thanks to SIAL, Benin will be exporting nearly 100 20-foot cashew kernel containers in 2019. "BeninCajù's main objective is to help the cashew industry in Benin to diversify its buyers and promote the exceptional quality of its kernels", says Valentin Atchaoué, Transformation Director of BeninCajù. 
Both Tolaro Global (Parakou) and Africa Négoce Industry (Porto-Novo), two processing plants from Benin present at the show, were enthusiastic about their experience: “This was an exceptional opportunity for us! We met new customers from around the world, and signed new contracts. SIAL is a big event that a factory like Tolaro cannot miss. We want to thank BeninCajù for giving us the huge opportunity of being here”, says Jace Rabe, President of Tolaro Global. For the past 7 years, Tolaro Global has been processing cashews in the north of Benin, but this is the first time the company participates to such a trade show.
Beyond: Benin's brand new brand of roasted and salted cashews
Benin cashews are known for their whiteness, size and softness. Cashews in Benin are usually exported to Asia or the USA for processing; on average a cashew nut from Benin travels about 12,000 km before being roasted, salted and packaged. Tolaro Global decided to change this trend and to do so, it created its own roasted and salted cashew brand: Beyond, that was launched at SIAL 2018.  
Beyond cashews only travel 115km to become a high quality easily traceable finished product. They also meet all international food safety standards.
BeninCajù has supported the company in setting up the new roasting unit and launching the brand. SIAL Paris 2018 was a great success for Benin and its delegation and it showed the huge economic and social value that cashews have for the country.
Watch Jace’s interview directly from the trade show!

BRC auditors are trained for the first time in West Africa, thanks to the support of BeninCajù

Benin cashews no longer know any borders, thanks to the British Retail Consortium certification, or BRC, to which two of the largest cashew processing factories in the country have already committed.
From 19 to 23 November 2018, BeninCajù trained 12 cashew experts in Cotonou who will serve as third-party BRC auditors. Already praised for the high quality of its cashew kernels, Benin is also ahead in terms of hygiene and food safety standards compared to other countries in West Africa, and the newly obtained British Retail Consortium Global Standard Certification, proves it!
According to Frédéric Gnonlonfoun, BeninCajù's Quality Issues Specialist, auditors training is of utmost importance and this is the first time that such a training is been provided in West Africa. 80% of the BRC Global Standard third-party auditor training is conducted in London at the BRC headquarters and it normally costs £1,500, or CFAF 1,103,050 per participant. BRC is an international standard for food safety, and today it is seen as the most trustworthy food standard reference in the agri-food processing world. Large international distribution chains usually require their food suppliers to have a BRC certification. BRC certified companies have no problem selling anywhere in the world. “This is really a huge opportunity for us”, adds Mr. Gnonlonfoun. The training of third-party BRC auditors is the first step in the certification process; successful participants will later be able to audit agribusiness companies and issue BRC certificates on behalf of the certification body.
With this training, Fludor and Tolaro Global, the two biggest cashew factories in Benin, will be better equipped to understand international standards and auditing requirements. It will also benefit the National Cashew Processors Council of Benin, CNTC, which wants to develop a technical committee composed of auditors to monitor the hygiene and quality levels in processing plants operating in Benin. BeninCajù's support to this training is part of the project’s vision to help increase and ensure the quality of cashews in Benin. Before the BRC training, BeninCajù had already helped twenty actors in the cashew processing industry obtain a PCQI diploma (Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is a requirement of the new American Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). All these actions and initiatives reinforce Benin’s commitment to strengthen and develop its cashew health security system.  
 
 
 
 

When asked how she went from being a part-time maths teacher to managing a whole processing unit at Fludor, one of Africa's largest cashew processing plants, Mélanie replies with a broad smile and says "the transition was not difficult; I used to manage school kids and now I do the same with women".
Wife and mother of two, Mélanie has been working at Fludor for three years now. She was one of the first three employees of the unit she now manages. Thanks to what she earns at Fludor, Melanie can contribute to the expenses of her family, provide for herself and also help some of her brothers and sisters. When she was a math teacher, her life was very uncertain, she would never know how long her contract was running for and she wouldn’t be paid during school holidays.
Today, she works in a really professional and fair environment. As Section Supervisor, Melanie is responsible for nearly 200 women who, like her, have a regular income. On paydays, right outside the factory, women from the neighboring town set up a big market for Fludor’s employees: “Women, especially, stock up for the whole month and they are very happy they can afford all sorts of products, not just basic food items”, says Melanie.
Melanie believes that cashews, above all, have a great social function: they create new jobs and allow young people and women to have a regular salary. 

Watch Melanie's inspiring video interview!

From 8 to 10 November 2018, Benin’s cashew processors, represented by IFA, the national cashew value chain association, took part in the third edition of the International Exhibition of Cashew Nut Processing Equipment and Technologies, SIETTA, in Abijian, organised this year in conjunction  with the annual conference of the African Cashew Alliance, ACA. During the show, Benin was awarded the prize for the most beautiful booth and best presence/performance.  
 
Over 7500 participants, 500 exhibitors and speakers, and 37 countries represented, SIETTA 2018 brought together people from all over the world, to discuss cashew nut transformation and explore the industry’s role in empowering the African youth. Panels, business meetings, innovative products, cashew tasting, as well as new processing techniques and technologies, were just some of the many activities that took place at SIETTA. Thanks to the support of partners such as BeninCajù, a project implemented by TechnoServe and the Catholic Relief Services, Benin’s cashew processors actively and successfully engaged in all trade show’s activities. Already well-known for the whiteness, size and sweetness of its cashews, Benin distinguished itself this year for the high number of delegates who were present at the show and the beauty of its booth. "We want the world to know about the outstanding quality of our cashews and to do that, we have to present our product well and use a packaging that reflects this quality", says one of IFA’s representatives.

Benin’s innovative cashew sector
TechnoServe Benin Country Director, James Obarowski and his Deputy Manager, Soulé Manigui, led several panel discussions on cashew nut shell electricity and opportunities for young people in the sector. The shell represents almost 70% of the total weight of a cashew nut and Benin will be collecting more than 24 thousand tons of cashew shells by 2020. The project BeninCajù has quickly realised the great potential hidden behind cashew shells, and is in fact already working with a cashew nut processing plant in the country to produce electricity from this otherwise wasted component. By the end of 2019, this ground-breaking innovation will become a reality. As for the opportunities for young people in the cashew industry, a great example was given by Mr Manigui, who talked about the growing need for cashew nurseries, to improve cashew trees productivity and quality - which is also a government’s priority - and the consequent increasing demand for nurseries workers.
Benin’s successful participation in SIETTA 2018 showed once again that the West African country is at the forefront of the global cashew industry and ready to fully exploit the great economic potential of this delicious nut!
 

Thérèse Orou Ali has always «dreamt of becoming a successful woman». Her dream came true when she decided to venture herself into the cashew apple industry and eventually discovered  Sweet Benin, the first African brand for the promotion of cashew apple juice and its by-products.  

Thérèse lives in the outskirts of Djougou, a small town 450km north of Cotonou. Her small cashew apple processing factory is next to her house. Every Saturday morning, she goes to town to teach high school students nutrition and technological transformation. She loves teaching and passing her knowledge onto the young ones. Once she is back home, Thérèse has to breastfeed her 11-month-old daughter, check all the cashew apple juice orders with her commercial agent and give interviews to journalists.
Thérèse’s father was a very busy farmer, so she spent her childhood with a host family from whom she learnt all about food processing and agricultural products. After school and during breaks, she would walk around the city, and go from door to door to sell those products. It was at a very early age that Thérèse started to acquire hands-on experience in the transformation and distribution of agri-food products. Thérèse’s path to success did not come without difficulties; being a mother, a teacher, and an entrepreneur is rewarding yet very challenging. She remembers the years when she had to work as a gardener for the Djougou Council to support herself and not having to ask a man for help. She always tells her students, particularly girls, about the difficulties and challenges she faced along the way, to inspire them and make them stronger. Thérèse is well-known outside Benin and is a reference for women and young entrepreneurs across Africa. In 2015, she was nominated Francophone Africa’s best entrepreneur.
Watch below the video about Thérèse