Cashew Coast

Cashew Coast is a processor and exporter of organic and conventional cashew nuts, founded in 2019 by Salma Seetaroo and Jayram Hosanee. The company operates in Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest producer of raw cashews. Co-founder and CEO, Salma Seetaroo, previously worked in investment banking and became involved with the cashew industry while performing due diligence on a processing factory, which the company later acquired in 2018. Jay Hosanee serves as the Co-Founder, CFO, and COO.

The company's business model is centered on sourcing raw cashews directly from a network of over 7,000 smallholder farmers, processing them locally, and exporting them to international markets, primarily in Europe and the United States. This local processing approach reduces the carbon footprint by minimizing shipping distances compared to the common practice of shipping raw nuts to other countries for processing. Cashew Coast operates two factories with a combined annual processing capacity of 19,000 metric tons.

A key feature of Cashew Coast's operation is its emphasis on traceability and sustainability. The company has implemented digital solutions, including SAP Rural Sourcing Management, to create a transparent supply chain, tracking the cashews from the farm to the final product. This system enhances food safety, ensures fair and direct payments to farmers, and allows customers to verify the ethical origin of the products. The company offers various cashew grades, including whole, split, and broken kernels, for use in snacks, vegan products, and nut butters. In June 2024, Cashew Coast secured $9.7 million in debt financing from AgDevCo to expand its processing capacity and farmer productivity programs.

Keywords: cashew processing, sustainable agriculture, food traceability, agribusiness, Côte d'Ivoire, ethical sourcing, organic cashews, supply chain management, smallholder farmers, food export, agricultural technology, rural development, impact investing, women empowerment, carbon footprint reduction, specialty foods, nut ingredients, B2B food supply, direct trade, agro-processing