The Innovating the Cashew Value Chain Project, implemented by CARE Tanzania in collaboration with Biotan Group Limited and Duga Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (Duga AMCOS), was designed to accelerate inclusive, sustainable, and locally driven economic growth in the Tanzanian cashew sector. The project focused on supporting smallholder farmers particularly women in Mkinga District, Tanga Region, through improved market linkages, local processing, and collective investment. By promoting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), strengthening AMCOS, and integrating value addition and gender-transformative approaches, the project aimed to foster a more profitable and climate- resilient cashew ecosystem.
Innovating the Cashew Value Chain
© Kapongola Nganyanyuka
Our Projects
- Advancing Gender Equity Justice through CARE Inclusive Farmer’s Field and Business Schools
- Her Money, Her Life project
- Her Resilience, Our Planet Project
- Innovating the Cashew Value Chain in Tanzania
- Scale Up Farmers Field and Business School project
- Shamba Darasa Imara na Ustadi project
- The New Approaches to Upscale Resilience and Ecosystem-Based Adaptation
- The Young Women Leadership Program
- USAID Kijana Nahodha Project
Tanzania is one of the world's top cashew producers (about 75% of East Africa's output), with cashews providing income for hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers, mostly in coastal regions. More than 80% of raw cashew nuts (RCN) get shipped to India or Vietnam for processing, and even local processors often buy at low farm-gate prices. This project flips that script by localizing value addition, improving Good Agricultural Practices and cutting out middlemen.
Achievements at Glance
- Productivity Gains: Average raw cashew nut yield per acre increased by 79%, from 205 kg at baseline to 367 kg at endline. Male farmers’ yields rose from 261 kg to 467 kg, and female farmers from 150 kg to 268 kg.
- Income and Market Integration: Average annual income from cashew farming increased by 82%, from TZS 252,279 to TZS 458,149, with enhanced prices (from TZS 500 to TZS 2,680/kg) attributed to improved quality, GAP adoption, organic certification, and better access to structured markets through AMCOS and Biotan.
- Women’s Empowerment: 55.8% of women adopted at least one GAP, 78.6% participated in VSLAs, and 35.8% engaged in collective investments. Reported improvements in household decision-making and income control reflect meaningful shifts in gender norms.
- Institutional Strengthening: Duga AMCOS transformed into a professional, year-round cooperative, increasing its membership, improving governance, and expanding services to farmers, supported by a public-private collaboration with Biotan and CARE.
Read more
Pili Makau’s Cashew Farming Journey
Pili Makau is a cashew farmer who participated in the Innovating Cashew Value Chain Project (July 2021 – June 2025). By applying Good Agricultural Practices, joining DUGA Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS) in Mkinga, and accessing reliable markets through Biotan Group ltd., she increased her cashew production and income. With the earnings, Pili built a house and paid school fees for her son, demonstrating the project’s lasting impact on women’s livelihoods.
Resources
Success Story: Mwasiti's Story
In 2021, Mwasiti heard about Innovating the Cashew Value Chain in Tanzania project implemented by Care International Tanzania. The project aimed to empower cashew nut farmers like her to improve their yields and income by providing them with training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) through the Farmer Field and Business School (FFBS).
Read MoreSuccess Story: The Transformational Journey of Hussein Ally
Hussein Ally Mwagomba, a dedicated 45-year-old cashew farmer and father of five, lives in Mwakikonge village, located in the Mkinga in Tanga region. For years, Hussein struggled with the challenges common to many small-scale farmers in the area—low yields, persistent pest infestations, and frequent crop diseases. This is the story of how Hussein's life changed after CARE's intervention through the Innovating Cashew Value Chain, supported by Danida Market Development Partnerships
Read MoreSuccess Story: Elina Mumba - From a homemaker to a thriving farmer
This impact brief outlines how the project uses VSLAs as a platform to support women in improving their income, leading change in their communities, and challenging traditional roles in the tea value chain.
Read More