ofi (Olam Food Ingredients) in Ghana one of the leading ingredients companies in the country and exporter of cocoa and cashew, has partnered with the GIZ project Market Oriented Value Chain for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS Region (GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew) to officially launch the 'Cashew Apple as a Recipe for Women and Youth Empowerment' Matching Grant Fund project in Techiman."

The project aims to train 1,000 women and youth in the processing and value addition of cashew apples for domestic use and commercial sale. It will also focus on equipping farmers with essential business and marketing skills to foster sustainable job creation and enhance their capacities in the harvest and post-harvest handling of cashew apples to improve quality, reduce losses and increase returns. Supporting the livelihoods of cashew households in an integral part of ofi’s dedicated cashew business 2030 sustainability targets for cashew under its Nut Trails Strategy.

Speaking at the project launch, the country head of ofi Ghana Limited, Mr. Eric Asare Botwe, referred to the initiative as a “a transformative journey rooted in innovation, empowerment, and community-driven change.” He continued: "This project is dedicated to empowering rural communities through the processing of cashew apples, a resource that has long been undervalued despite its immense potential. By training women and young people to turn cashew apples into nutritious, marketable products like juice, jam, and kebabs, we are creating new opportunities for income generation and food security. This is more than an economic intervention; it is a human-centred initiative."

The Project Lead of GIZ/MOVE ComCashew, Mrs Beate Weiskopf, commended ofi for selecting the project under the Matching Grant Fund and acknowledged the broader goals of the initiative adding:

"The project aims to improve the livelihoods of 1,000 women and youth cashew farmers by introducing home-based, small-scale processing of cashew apples currently discarded as waste. It aligns with MOVE's objective to create income and foster growth," she indicated that GIZ remained committed to fund the implementation of the project and encouraged all potential beneficiaries to actively participate in this initiative designed specifically for their empowerment.

The District Chief Executive for Techiman North, Hon. Adom Kwabena Johnson, welcomed the initiative and conveyed the strong support of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He stressed the project's potential to help curb unemployment and drive rural development. Other speakers at the launch included representatives from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).

The ceremonial launch of the project was jointly performed by Mr. Dipen Joshi, the Business Head for ofi's cashew business, representatives from GIZ and other project partners.  An exhibition was held to give guests an experience of how beneficiaries of the project will transform ripe cashew apples into a range of products like juice, jam, sweets, and kebabs.

ofi and GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew, through the Matching Grant Fund Project under Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains hope to expand the initiative to more communities, with the long-term goal of strengthening rural livelihoods and promoting climate-resilient, inclusive agribusiness across the country.

The Matching Grant Fund project is being implemented under the Joint Action "Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains," co-funded by the European Union through the Samoa Agreement with the Organisation of African, Caribbean & Pacific States (OACPS), and by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development (BMZ).