ACA Hosts Second Workshop under USAID WATIH Project
From the 24th to the 25th of November in Abidjan, ACA held its second workshop under its partnership with the USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (WATIH). The workshop, targeted at cashew processors in Burkina Faso, Mali and Cote d’Ivoire, was held for a series of two days and welcomed a total of 15 participants. The goal of the workshops is to significantly increase the capacity and technical knowledge of cashew processing in the West African cashew value chain.
Soungari Sekongo, from ACA’s partner organization RONGEAD N’kalô, gave the first presentation on international market behavior, market trend analysis, cashew marketing, price fluctuation and overall status of the industry. ACA Seal Coordinator, Dorcas Amoh facilitated the training sessions for the cashew processors on subjects of food safety, such as good hygiene practices, good manufacturing practices, HACCP implantation and the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, as well as environmental protection strategies. The trainings also included interactive activities such as an HACCP Simulation and Food Safety case studies.
Mr. Ouattara Bassifou, from COCOPRAGEL, attended the workshop and represented le Conseil du Coton et de l’Anacarde (CCA). CCA, a long time partner of ACA, is a government institution whose mission is to strengthen the industry in Cote d'Ivoire. He delivered the opening and closing remarks to participants and stressed the importance of capacity building and collaboration within the industry.
The topics learned at the training are crucial to building the technical skills and long-term potential for West African cashew processors to be competitive in the international market. This workshop will be followed by four more throughout West Africa to complete the workshop series under ACA’s joint project with USAID WATIH.
