Cashew

This study is part of a public-private partnership project ‘Oilseeds specialties: opportunities for the
Dutch business community in the vegetable oil industry’ from 2013 to 2015. Demand is rapidly
increasing for shea butter in cosmetics and food, derived from the oil rich nuts of the shea (Vitellaria
paradoxa) tree and for cashew nuts, seeds of the (Anacardium occidentale) tree, used mainly as a
food snack. A literature review, and interviews with 249 farmers and harvesters, processors, retailers,
exporters, 42 traditional leaders, exporters, government, research institutions, non-governmental and
civil society organisations and 17 focus group discussions were held between July and November
2014. The main findings are that rights to cashew and shea trees and their products differ greatly
between men and women. Whilst regulations governing access to land and trees in Burkina Faso and
Ghana do not discriminate between men and women, customary law governs in practice and do
differentiate. Shea is predominantly wild harvested and cashew is cultivated. Access to land for
cultivation is difficult for women in both countries. Land and tree tenure problems include a lack of
knowledge of formal laws, costs and difficulties to register land, and insecure customary tenure.
Benefits from participating in the value chains of these products have increased in both countries for
both men and women. How the income is distributed depends on whether the product comes from a
cultivated tree and if it was a joint, household or individual activity. Both sexes use the incomes from
selling raw and processed products to meet family needs, men tend to spend more on family
education and assets, women more on food. Women in cashew processing groups earn substantially
higher income. Although initiatives are ongoing in both countries, these have not had dramatic
impacts in the study areas. The main factors of success in improving gender equity in shea and
cashew chains are ensuring and securing access to land and trees for smallholders. This means
overcoming the significant cultural and associated financial barriers for women to own land and trees,
but also for smallholders to enlarge their land holdings, and supporting women to organise into groups
and improve the quantity and quality of processing. Further recommendations include raising
awareness among traditional leaders, village elders and male household heads of the potential of
women in agriculture and benefits for households; support for collective action and pilot activities, and
celebrating women’s - and men’s - successes to improve their participation in decision-making
processes in the value chains affecting them.

In the context of the global change, the loss of biodiversity in the forests-savannas mosaic zone of West Africa constitutes a growing problem. The sale of cashew nuts remains one of the main economic resources of Côte d'Ivoire which is the first world producer. In the Northeast of the country, the Comoé National park region presents several hectares of cashew plantations. The interrelations between the development of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) and plant diversity were rarely studied. The consequences of this culture and the evaluation of the potential of species regeneration inform about the possibilities of land management. Vegetation mapping and land investigation help us to show that 4 or 5 % of forests were transformed into cashew plantations in which the regeneration of the natural species showed a strong regeneration potential in the first steps. However this floristic potential is represented by species like Annona senegalensis and Bridelia ferruginea adapted to less humid conditions. The agricultural activities certainly accompanied with fire, outside of the park lead to open low strata in the forests and also, regeneration of the main forests species such as Cola millenii, Anogeissus leiocarpus and Dialium guineense is compromised by the absence of adults or juvenile plants. All these consequences could drive to a severe reduction of the forest surface and to a loss of biodiversity. Agroforestry systems and the control of bush fires are to be recommended for the resources management. RESUME: Dans le contexte actuel du changement global, la perte de la biodiversité dans la zone de mosaïque forêts-savanes en Afrique de l'Ouest, constitue une problématique grandissante. Dans la région du Parc National de la Comoé au Nord-Est de la Côte d'Ivoire, s'étendent des hectares de plantations d'anacardier. Les interrelations entre le développement de l'anacardier (Anacardium occidentale L.) et la diversité végétale ont été rarement étudiées alors que la vente des noix de cajou demeure l'une des principales ressources économiques du pays, qui est devenu le premier producteur mondial en 2015. Les conséquences de la culture de l'anacardier et le potentiel de régénération des espèces naturelles, informent sur les possibilités d'aménager ces milieux. A l'aide de la cartographie et des relevés de surface, nous avons montré que 4 à 5 % des forêts ont été transformés en plantations dans lesquelles la régénération des espèces naturelles montre un potentiel fort dès le jeune âge. Cependant ce potentiel floristique est représenté par des espèces comme Annona senegalensis et Bridelia ferruginea adaptées à des conditions moins humides. La propagation des feux de brousse lors de l'installation des plantations a entrainé l'ouverture des strates basses des forêts. Aussi, la régénération des espèces principales des forêts telles que Cola millenii, Anogeissus leiocarpus et Dialium guineense est compromise par l'absence d'adultes ou de juvéniles. Toutes ces conséquences pourraient conduire à une réduction sévère de la surface forestière et à une perte de la biodiversité. Les systèmes agroforestiers et le contrôle des feux de brousse sont à recommander.

This article documents master logboat-builder Alalae Mohamed’s construction of a ngalawa fishing vessel in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. The ngalawa is an extended logboat with double outrigger and lateen sail used by low-income, artisanal fishers. It is the most common marine vessel type of the East African coast. This article follows the construction process from Alalae’s selection and the felling of the tree(s) to the launching of the vessel. It outlines the tools and materials used, details the sequence he followed, and presents his choices and considerations made along the way. It is accompanied by a documentary film recording the construction process, a 3D digital model of the vessel and detailed construction drawings.