Ghana Golden Cashew

A European cashew brand co-owned by Ghanaian farmers and diaspora investors.

Ghana Golden Cashew connects farmer cooperatives in Ghana with diaspora investors and Dutch processing partners. The aim is to build a profitable, ethical brand that gives farmers a share in the business and the revenue created closer to European consumers.

How the business works

A Netherlands-based Equal Trade enterprise sources traceable raw cashews from Equal Trade-certified cooperatives in Ghana. After shelling and grading, an established Dutch small or medium-sized business is contracted to roast, flavour, package and label the product under EU standards. The initial sales focus is on business buyers in Europe.

Farmer cooperatives and diaspora investors are shareholders. The Dutch processor provides a contracted service, keeping capital costs lower by avoiding the purchase of processing facilities. The Equal Trade Alliance has a non-equity role overseeing certification, compliance and revenue sharing.

The first pilot

Led by Africa In Motion and the Equal Trade Alliance, the pilot centres on one container of 20 metric tonnes of raw cashews. The target raise is €200,000, allocated as follows:

Use of funds	Amount
Processing and packaging contracts	€80,000
Raw cashews and core logistics	€45,000
Branding certification and launch	€30,000
Working capital and import buffer	€25,000
Cooperative support and training	€10,000
Operational contingency	€10,000

What the pilot aims to achieve

Phase 1 targets include more than 500 Ghanaian farmers becoming co-owners and rural income increases of up to 40% through revenue sharing. The venture also aims to support jobs across logistics, processing and sales in Ghana and Europe. These are targets from the investor brief, not measured results.