Cashew as a High Agricultural Commodity in West Africa: Insights towards Sustainable Production in Guinea-Bissau

Abstract

Abstract:In Sub-Saharan Africa, the West African region has highly diverse agro-climatic conditions, which grant the potential for a remarkable agricultural production of a great diversity of crops. Since the 1980s, the production volumes of most crops have grown vigorously for both domestic and export markets. Traditional food crops-such as rice, groundnuts and sorghum-have been replaced by cash crops, namely cashew. Among the main cashew production areas, West Africa is the most recent and dynamic in the world, accounting for 45% of the worldwide production of cashew nuts in 2015. In consequence, cashew cultivation has acquired an important position in West African smallholder farming, providing positive economic and social effects. In this paper, we provide an overview of the cashew production system in the West African region, using Guinea-Bissau as a case study. In particular, we present some viewpoints concerning the impact of cashew production and discuss how the strong dependence on a single cash crop can compromise the local livelihoods and food security. Finally, some insights are given towards the sustainable production of cashew in the face of the recent risks affecting the agricultural sector in West Africa.

Cashew Nut is Reshaping the Rural Landscape of the Seguela Sub-Prefecture (Northwestern Côte d'Ivoire)

“…In this region where the main activity remains agriculture, it has been shown that cashew nuts have increased the incomes of farmers and people and, above all, improved their living standards [9,13]. As a result of the guarantee of sales income and lower input costs, more and more farmers in West Africa continue engaging in cashew nut production as a cash crop [3].…”

“…This has both a positive and negative impact on the environment. On the one hand, cashew nut orchards limit soil erosion, promote regrowth and increase tree density in savannah landscapes [3,[29][30][31]. On the other hand, by affecting the dynamics of the rural landscape, this culture leads to a deterioration in the quality of carbon sequestration [6].…”

“…In terms of social relations, the monopolization of land for several decades has led to the emergence of new land conflicts already reported in some regions of Côte d'Ivoire between rural populations and between farmers and herders [8][9]. Some part, it said that the expansion of cashew farming is a way some farmers use to securing land, which is likely to become a big challenge in future [3]. In addition, the increase in cashew tree areas is detrimental to those of food crops associated with it in the first three years of cultivation [34].…”

“…Cashew nut cultivation plays an undeniable role in improving people's incomes in west Africa [2]. In Côte d'Ivoire, cashew nuts are mainly produced in the northern Sudanese area where they were introduced in the 1960s to fight against desertification and soil erosion [1,3]. In recent years, attractive prices have led to the expansion of this crop, which has become the main source of income for producers in the savannah regions of northern and central Côte d'Ivoire [4].…”

Crops Diversification and the Role of Orphan Legumes to Improve the Sub-Saharan Africa Farming Systems

“…Economic foundations of most SSA are dominated by agriculture, which is recognized to contribute between 15 and 40% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Besides, agriculture sector provides livelihoods for over 70% of SSA's population through family farming [3,4]. The economically active population in agriculture doubled from 100 million people in 1980 to 212 million in 2013.…”