Cashew for Food

Cashew is a trending cash crop among many West African smallholders. The aim of my research was to investigate how the livelihoods of cashew farmers in central Benin are impacted by cashew production. I have selected a case study research strategy, using a mixed methods approach. Findings and analysis were based on four focus group discussions with cashew farmers from central Benin, and a quantitative data set which was issued and implemented by the African Cashew Initiative (ACI). Impact on livelihoods was examined in terms of the direct impact on household capital and the individual, and in terms of how the rise in cashew production influences regional food security, as an external factor acting upon the household, on the example of two districts in Central Benin. While cashew production was found to increase individuals’ access to capital, the entry barriers to cashew production cause inequitable benefits across the community. The regional food security is menaced in terms of the stability of the food supply, but increasing cashew production did not seem to be the leading cause of this development. It is rather climate volatility and soil degradation which have greater impacts on the stability of the regional food supply