Prosper Cashew launch event recap

TechnoServe leadership with partner cashew processors at the launch event

The Prosper Cashew project was officially launched on February 10, 2022, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The launch event brought together high-level representatives from the Ivorian government, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire,  West African cashew processors, the investment community and senior leaders from TechnoServe. The event was hybrid, with participation both in-person and online via Zoom. The launch provided an opportunity to present the project’s vision and enabled key stakeholders to begin collaborating to strengthen the cashew sector.

The event consisted of remarks from the U.S. Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire Richard K. Bell; USDA Deputy Administrator of Global Programs Mark Slupek; Minister of State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani; Minister of Commerce and Industry Souleymane Diarassouba; representatives from the Ministry for the Promotion of Investments and Private Sector as well as from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Diaspora;  representatives from the cashew processing sector; TechnoServe’s president and CEO Will Warshauer and many others.

The Prosper Cashew launch marked a new era for West Africa’s cashew sector.

Members from the local and international press were present at the launch event, with representation from written, online, and TV press in attendance. At the end of the launch ceremony, Prosper Cashew organized one-on-one media interviews between TechnoServe officials and international media outlets. While answering journalists’ questions, TechnoServe’s president and CEO Will Warshauer, TechnoServe’s West Africa Regional Director Larry Umunna and Prosper Cashew’s Chief of Party Krishanu Chakravarty highlighted the project’s unique value proposition, vision, and planned activities. A presentation video focusing on the project’s vision and scope of action was presented at the launch.