Forager Project, a leader in organic dairy-free foods, announced the launch of The Cashew Project, a first-of-its-kind multi-year program designed to support cashew farming communities in Côte d'Ivoire. The initiative focuses on organic farming training, financial literacy programs, and sustainable agricultural practices that benefit cashew farmers and the planet. The project aims to improve farmers' livelihoods, challenge traditional gender roles to empower women in farming, and provide climate change adaptation solutions to ensure sustainable cashew production in Côte d'Ivoire.

Organic cashews are an excellent alternative to cow's milk and other nuts. Not only do they offer strong nutritional benefits, but they are far more environmentally sustainable due to their drought tolerance and minimal irrigation needs. This multi-year initiative reflects Forager Project's commitment to building strong relationships with the communities that grow their cashews and its commitment to helping to reduce the impact of dairy.

This landmark program, developed in collaboration with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and olam food ingredients (ofi), is built around multiple training efforts in the Côte d'Ivoire community including:

- Climate-smart agriculture practices: Cashew trees contribute to reforestation when planted on degraded land and support biodiversity through intercropping with cassava and other local crops. The trees also provide habitat for pollinators and wildlife while requiring fewer resources than other nut crops. Farmers receive training in pruning, erosion control, and composting techniques.

- Organic certification training: More than 1,000 farmers are currently in the organic certification process, with field audits and traceability protocols ensuring product integrity from harvest to processing.

- Removing gender-biases in farming: Traditionally, men in Côte d'Ivoire have farmed with the women staying home. The program aims to help more women become farmers and become financially independent. More than 1,000 women across 18 villages in Côte d'Ivoire have been trained and a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) program is also launching to support long-term financial independence for women, with completion expected in 2026.

- Creating infrastructure for quality and impact: As part of the partnership, Forager Project helped fund a warehouse and drying yard in Djébonoua, protecting harvests from moisture and weather while increasing income potential for local growers.

Over the next two years, the project seeks to improve the lives of cashew communities, by supporting 10,000+ farmers – 50% of whom are women and young adults – through comprehensive training and support to enhance quality and empower farmers to achieve sustainable livelihoods.

This unique partnership demonstrates how supporting farming communities creates benefits that extend far beyond individual farms. Better tools and training lead to higher-quality products, improved yields, and better wages for farmers. Enhanced post-harvest practices result in better-tasting cashews that meet Forager Project's high standards.

This program sets a new standard for how plant-based food companies can invest in the communities behind their ingredients—connecting soil, farmer, and food in a powerful way.