CID Announces Partnership with Shelter for Life International's W. African Cashew Project

CID Announces Partnership with Shelter for Life International's W. African Cashew Project

The Center for Industrial Development is a research and consulting firm focused on the energy, mining, and agriculture industries' impact on economic development worldwide. Shelter For Life International (SFL) is an international faith-based relief and development organization with over 30 years of experience in providing sustainable development and humanitarian assistance to post-conflict countries around the world.

November 13th, 2019- CID is excited to announce its partnership with Shelter for Life International's U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded "Linking Infrastructure, Finance, and Farms To Cashew" (LIFFT) program. The LIFFT-Cashew program seeks to support the SeGaBi (Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau) cashew production zones which collectively produce over 300,000 metric tons of raw cashew nuts annually but only process less than 5% of that production. The program seeks to address this processing deficit by improving the quality of cashews-produced, facilitating investment in cashew production, and enabling the bulk sale of cashew nuts to regional and international markets. The LIFFT program will benefit farmers, processors, and many related businesses in the value chain.

CID's role in this program will be to interface with and attract private investors to the multitude of financing and investment opportunities that arise out of SFL's work with stakeholders in the region. Investments in the cashew processing sector will directly benefit from SFL's work to strengthen value chains and improve the quality of cashew production.

CID President John Nikolaou commented, "It is a privilege to be working alongside Shelter for Life to fortify the industry that millions in this region depend on. We take pride in making these sustainable and impactful investment opportunities available to U.S. and international investors alike. Through our partnership with SFL, we will strive to unlock the potential that the cashew industry has to drive sustainable economic development in the SeGaBi region."

Shelter for Life CEO Mustafa Omar added, "I am excited and looking forward to working with CID and John on this project. Shelter for Life is a social development organization that ultimately serves the interest of the poor and vulnerable. This partnership can open unprecedented opportunities to benefit farmers, processors and other stakeholders in the region." CID Regional Director for West Africa Adulai Djibril Djalo commented, "Unlocking the growth potential of the West African cashew industry requires private investors to have trusted partners whether they are investing $100,000 or $10,000,000. CID and Shelter for Life are those partners than can ensure investors make sustainable and profitable investments. ."

Please contact CID for more information about the LIFFT program and investment opportunities.

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