Burkina Faso, one of the largest cashew nuts producers in West Africa, has banned the export of raw cashew nuts until further notice, aiming to fuel its local processing industry, create jobs, and keep more value within its borders.
In 2024, only 10% of the cashew harvest was processed locally despite having the capacity to process 30,000 tons. The rest? Exported raw, with most of the profits made elsewhere.
A significant portion of the world’s cashew production comes from Africa, with West Africa being a leading producer.
The government wants to ensure local processors have enough supply to run at full capacity and start turning Burkina’s cashew potential into real economic gains.
While Africa produces a large amount of cashews, a significant portion is exported as raw nuts, making a small portion of the global profits.
Burkina Faso now joins countries like Benin, which also banned raw cashew exports to boost in-country processing.
