About cashew nuts:

Cashew nuts grow on evergreen trees native to northeastern Brazil. They are now widely grown in tropical climates both for the nuts and cashew apples. The main producer countries are Vietnam, Nigeria, India, Brazil and Indonesia.

Cashews have to be roasted before the shell can be removed. Shelling is usually done by hand; mechanical shelling processes are not as effective at producing unbroken nuts or coping with variations in size.

The benefits of cashew production:

The production of cashews is a source of livelihood for both men and women; it is an important crop for household consumption as well as for export. Cashew crops provide a valuable source of income from the sale of the nuts, apples and oil. Cashew oil (often called cashew nut shell liquid) is used to produce resins, some of which are used in aeronautical industries.

Cashew trees can withstand harsher conditions than many other trees, allowing reforestation of severely eroded areas. Cashew apples have a high vitamin C content, and are always consumed locally because the skin is too fragile for transportation. There are increasing numbers of organic and fair trade cashew producers.

Issues of the cashew trade:

Limited benefit to some producer countries

Many cashew producing countries have only seen limited benefit from cashew production. Large profits are concentrated in the final stages of processing at the northern end, that is roasting, salting and retail, particularly the large supermarkets. Purchase prices are fixed by a small number of exporters and prices can fluctuate dramatically depending on international demand.

African countries produce 36% of the world’s cashew nuts, but export 75% of the nuts in raw form, mostly to India. The value of such nuts as imported to India is about US$900 per tonne. But the export value after processing averages $5,300 per tonne.

Liberalisation has had a damaging impact on developing country cashew industries. For example, a condition of a World Bank loan to Mozambique was that it liberalise its cashew production, including abolishing subsidies to processing operations. This led to the closure of most processing factories and the loss of 10,000 jobs.

Poor labour conditions

Around 6,700 tonnes of cashew nuts are exported from India to the UK annually and 80% are sold through supermarkets. Workers shelling cashew nuts can produce between 5 and 10kg of nuts per day. An estimated 500,000 women process cashew nuts for a living in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, two states in Southern India. A report by Action Aid found they were earning 5p for shelling a kilo of cashews that retail in UK supermarkets for £9 or more.

Cashew production is characterised in many countries by long hours for workers, some studies find that women tend to work the longest hours and earn less than their male counterparts. Workers interviewed by Action Aid complained of leg pain from sitting all day, headaches, dizziness and vomiting from the smoke. Some communities say that pesticides used in cashew cultivation have had a damaging effect on their health, including severe birth defects.

Cashew nuts produce a caustic acid which can burn the skin, and noxious fumes when heated. Workers are sometimes given oil to cover their hands, but this only gives limited protection; others are given gloves, but they wear out quickly and are not favoured by workers paid on a piece rate because they affect dexterity and slow down work.#

Women more likely to be in precarious work

Overall, the work in cultivation is shared equally between men and women. However at a production level more women tend to be involved at the manual, more risky peeling stage, and more men in the (better paid) mechanised stages. Women often have less access to information about cultivation, harvesting and technology and are less likely to be members of farmers’ associations. There is also evidence that, where cashew production is privatised, more jobs go to men than women and social benefits such as provision of health and child care are eroded.

What does this mean for consumers in the UK?

Cashew production is an important source of income for many poor communities. Cashew producers are likely to be producing for both their own consumption and for export, so by buying cashew nuts you may be directly contributing to food security for poor farmers. Cashew production can also have environmental benefits because it can be used to help reforest areas that have suffered erosion.

Both men and women can benefit from the production of cashew nuts. Having a source of income often means women gain respect and status in their family and community, and this can give them a voice in community decisions.

Buying Fair Trade cashews can help ensure that farmers and producers get a fair price for their products and that health and safety issues are addressed. Buying organic cashews will mean local communities are not exposed to harmful chemicals such as pesticides.

Have you ever stopped to wonder where flowers in our supermarkets come from in the middle of December? How are the shops always full to the brim on Valentine's Day or Mother's Day? Also how can supermarkets reduce prices to £2.99 a bunch and still see them as one of their most profitable items? The truth is that these things are only possible at the expense of the health and dignity of workers in Africa.

Read more here

WFP work for the rights of women working on farms that grow produce for UK markets, including fruit, vegetables and flowers.

The vision of WFP is an engendered society that treats women who live and work on farms with dignity and respect in accordance with the constitutional rights guaranteed to all South African citizens.

We envisage a society where:

• Equality, respect and dignity are afforded to all women within the economic, social and political institutions, as well as in the community and home.

• Women play a leading role in sustainable agricultural production and are ensured of access to secure agricultural employment, food, land and housing, while preserving the natural environment for future generations.

• Access to affordable basic services such as water, health and electricity are assured and rural women are active in securing these services.

• Women lead the restoration of the social fabric of rural and agricultural communities so that respect, tolerance and accountability prevail. Our vision is of an alternative South African rural landscape in which women play active leadership roles within family, community, labour, economic and government structures.

Find out more here