ACA reaches mid-point in USAID WATIH Project
With the completion of the third workshop under ACA’s partnership with the USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub, ACA has successfully implemented the first phase of the workshop series). The U.S. Agency for International Development administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide. The goal of the project is to significantly increase the capacity and technical knowledge of cashew processing in the West African cashew value chain.
For the first phase of the project, ACA targeted cashew processing managers, market information system professionals, and data collectors. Since November 2015, ACA has trained a total of 57 participants from 10 West African countries. The workshops have focused on crucial issues of food safety, product quality, environmental management, and market data collection and dissemination.
The most recent was a two-day workshop held in Bissau from February 2-3, 2016 and hosted participants from Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, The Gambia and Senegal. The event had excellent support by local government agencies and related organizations. During the opening remarks, ACA welcomed the President of ANCA, the national regulatory agency for cashew in Guinea-Bissau, as well as the coordinator of PRSPDA, a World Bank supported project focusing on private sector rehabilitation in the cashew industry. ANCA and PRSPDA representatives actively participated throughout the two days and spoke about the importance of strengthening the entire value chain to ensure long-term sustainability.
The second phase of the workshop series will focus on business planning and management, investment skills, international competitiveness, and advanced market information system strategies.
*This workshop is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the African Cashew Alliance and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
