Back to the newsECOCAJOU is majority-owned by the ECOOKIM Union of Cocoa Cooperatives, one of the largest in Africa and representing 1% of the world’s cocoa production. Following its success in the cocoa sector, ECOOKIM decided to move into high-value-added cashew nut processing to complement its cocoa business. The company mainly exports cashew kernels to Europe and the United States.
Côte d’Ivoire is by far the most dynamic and best managed French-speaking country in sub-Saharan Africa. In many respects (infrastructure, agri-food, health, education) and despite criticism of favouritism or lack of inclusion, the country is considered to be a model of economic development, under the leadership of Alassane Ouattara, in office since 2010. State support for agricultural sectors is very high and is beginning to prove its worth, particularly in agro-industrial processing (cashew, rubber, cotton), and negotiations on cocoa are increasingly intense with the multinationals.
With a processing capacity of 10 to 15 kt of raw cashew since the beginning of 2023, ECOCAJOU aims to work with more than 10 k producers by 2025. In addition to the fact that its seasons complement those of cocoa, the cashew tree is particularly resilient to climate change and grows in the drier northern part of the country. ECOCAJOU also plans to be certified 100% fair trade and mostly organic.
