Agriculture and Environment: Commodities

Table of Facts: Cashews (Anacardium occidentale)

Production
Area Under Cultivation - 2.7 Million ha
Global Production - 1.6 Million MT
Average Productivity - 593 kg/ha
Producer Price - $425 per MT
Producer Production Value - $594 million

International Trade
Share of World Production - 62%
Exports - 0.2 million MT
Average Price - $4,939 per MT
Value - $867 Million

Principal Producing Countries/Blocs
(by weight)
India, Vietnam, Nigeria, Brazil, Tanzania, Indonesia, Cote d' Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau

Principal Exporting Countries/Blocs
India, Vietnam, Brazil, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau, Cote d'Ivoire

Principal Importing Countries/Blocs
United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia, Canada, France

Major Environmental Impacts

• Conversion of natural forest in the West, East, and southern Africa and in Brazil
• Plant toxicity tends to discourage other biodiversity in the same area
  
  

Potential to Improve

• Good
• Better management practices are known
• Impacts and inputs are few and can be reduced further
• Organic and Fair Trade certification exists
  

Source: FAO 2003. All data for 2000. Note: Production figure is in unshelled nuts and exports are in shelled nuts or kernels. The conversion rate used: 5 kg unshelled nuts = 1 kg shelled nuts.