Envisioning 2016: A Message from the ACA Managing Director
Dear ACA Members and Cashew Industry Stakeholders,
We started the year 2016 with a renewed commitment to provide services to our members and engage in networking activities so as to promote the cashew sector and ensure the visibility of ACA as an international industry alliance. In preparation for the year, ACA held a strategy meeting where we reviewed our activities for 2015 and developed the work plan for 2016. The highlight of the work plan is the crafting of strategies aimed at sustaining the support of our stakeholders through the delivery of value-adding services and creation of networking platforms for the promotion of the industry.
One of these crucial areas is the organization of the sector to create a more effective and productive value chain from farmer to consumer. To this end, we plan to organize National Stakeholder Dialogues in ACA member countries following the example of the one that took place in Accra, Ghana, in January 2016, where ACA was a sponsor and played a major role in its facilitation. The objective of these dialogues is to create a platform for the stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and challenges in the industry and allow ACA to better advocate for the industry. The next one is planned for April 2016 in Guinea-Bissau.
ACA also attended the PTNPA Convention in Florida, USA, in January, where we had the opportunity of interacting with some international partners of ACA. The discussions we had with the partners will be continued in a separately organized International Partners Forum, during the 2016 INC Conference in California, USA in June. The forum will provide the opportunity to ask international partners how ACA can offer more value-added services and thereby, sustain their support for ACA and the industry.
During the first two months of the year, ACA continued to deliver business support and technical services to our members. Two Nigerian cashew processors benefited from a Business Expansion Feasibility Study and consultancy that will enhance their business operations. In our efforts to strengthen relationship between ACA and the African Cashew Initiative (ACi) we also participated in their strategic planning meeting held in Amonabo, Ghana in January. As partner organizations, we aim to deepen our understanding of their operations in order to explore further areas of mutual cooperation.
ACA has also commenced preparations for the 2016 ACA World Cashew Festival & Expo, slated for Guinea Bissau in September 2016. A team, led by myself, visited the country to explore the infrastructures available to host this important event. We met with major cashew industry stakeholders and discussed the various aspects of the conference and logistics. We received their commitment to set up a Local Organizing Committee that will collaborate with ACA to organize the conference. The ACA also team met with the Country’s Minister of Finance and Economy who gave assurances that the government will fully support the event.
We are currently exploring various avenues for improving our current services, as well as offering new ones to our members. We are working on deploying technology to improve market information dissemination to rural cashew farmers in order to assist them with getting more value for their products. We are also working to expand and upgrade the ACA Quality & Sustainability Seal program to farmers with the goal of providing quality assurance to African processors and international buyers as well as incorporating environmental issues into the seal. ACA is also reaching out to regional and international institutions for resource mobilization and technical support. This is to ensure that the ACA Seal meets the requirements of global food security standards that will soon be implemented.
These are just some of the activities and initiatives ACA will be pursuing in the course of 2016 and which we will articulate in more detail as the year progresses. We are counting on our Executive Committee, the Advisory Board and all our stakeholders for their continued support and assistance in the efforts to deliver value to the African and International Cashew Industries. We look forward to new formal partnerships and hearing your contribution/inputs/feedback on upcoming issues.
Sincerely,
Dr. Babafemi Oyewole
