This article was supported by SGCI.

[ACCRA, SciDev.Net] In Ayigbe, a rural community in Ghana’s Bono Region, 35-year-old Michael Kyereme paid off a university debt of GHS 3,500 (US$335) in just three months.

He managed this not by getting a highly paid salaried job, but by selling juice made from the fleshy part of the cashew fruit that most farmers throw away.

“Cashew apples are easy to find, and free,” he tells SciDev,Net.

“Now I make about 60 bottles of juice per cycle a day and sell through my wife’s shop and social media platforms like TikTok and WhatsApp.”

Cashew apples, the fruit attached to the cashew nut, are usually discarded during harvesting.

But under a research-backed project, young people are learning how to turn the apples into juice, snacks, compost and animal feed.

The initiative, called Maximising Gains from Cashew Production for Youth Development (MA-CASH), is run by Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, with support from the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology and funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre.

It trains young people to process cashew apples into products that reduce food waste and provide income in rural areas.

“Most alternative livelihoods require capital, but this one did not. That’s why I embraced it immediately,” says Kyereme.

He hopes to invest in processing equipment and try out new products like cashew apple kebabs and poultry feed.

Globally, about 37 million metric tonnes of cashew apples are produced each year. But only about 1.3 million tonnes of these are commercially processed, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

George Asare, a researcher at Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, who was involved in the project, says Ghana produced over 1.6 million tonnes of cashew apples in 2024, 90 per cent of which went to waste.

“This translates to about 1,449,000 metric tonnes of lost produce,” Asare says. “It’s a big loss both economically and nutritionally.”

MA-CASH trains young people to process the fruit into juice, meat alternatives and other products. It also promotes composting and animal feed production, creating small businesses that use all parts of the fruit.

“This project is not just about juice,” says Sefakor Heloo, senior development planning officer at Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.

“It is about sustainability, food security, climate resilience, and giving young people practical skills.”

The idea for the project came during a field visit by crop scientist Francisca Aba Ansah, who saw piles of rotting cashew apples and wondered why no one ate them.

Back in the lab, the team found two challenges: the fruit’s high tannin content, which can block nutrient absorption, and the need for a protein-rich ingredient that wouldn’t trigger allergies.

“We used scientific processes to reduce tannin levels in the juice,” Ansah says.

To boost protein levels they added a legume, in order to develop a sausage-like protein-rich food for vegetarians.

The team tested the new sausage product in Accra after receiving ethical clearance and running a small social media campaign to recruit tasters.

“There was no significant difference between our sausage and commercial vegan sausage,” she says.

So far, more than 300 young people have been trained in six communities, and the next training session, scheduled for January 2026, is already full.

MA-CASH also focuses on reducing waste. Leftover pulp is used for compost and feed, and the project is experimenting with simple cooling technologies to extend the fruit’s shelf life.

“We have developed and tested a clay cooler that extends shelf life from 24 hours to six days,” Ansah says.

“But we are exploring technologies that can stretch it to three months or more.”

The project also encourages beekeeping under cashew trees to improve pollination and boost honey production.

With help from Opportunity International Savings and Loans, a savings and loans institution licensed by the Bank of Ghana, savings groups have been set up to support participants who need loans to buy equipment or expand their business. Participants are also receiving training in financial literacy and digital tools.

Paul Adu-Gyamfi, director of research at the Consultative International Cashew Council, says cashew is Ghana’s top non-traditional export and could grow further with better use of the apple.

“The cashew apple has potential for value-added products,” he says.

“Its spread into regions like the Eastern Region creates more room for processing and local business.”

He says more than 4,000 farmers are involved in growing cashew, with others working in processing and export. Institutions like the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana are helping address farming challenges, while agencies such as the Food and Drugs Authority are working on product quality and safety.

Cashew apples are high in nutrients, says Daniel Kwame Antwi, a nutrition officer, at the Dormaah Sub-District of the Ghana health Service in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana, who wasn’t involved in the study.

“It is rich in carbohydrates, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants. It boosts immunity, supports heart health, and can reduce obesity risks,” he says.

“Cashew juice is good for all age groups. We’ve focused too long on the nut. It is time we explored the fruit.”

The MA-CASH model is being expanded to regions such as Ahafo, Ashanti, and Northern Ghana, with training materials now available in local languages.

For Michael Kyereme, the change has been life-altering.

“This skill changed my life,” he says. “It is a profitable business, and more young people want to join. We just need the machines and support to grow bigger.”

SGCI is a multilateral initiative established to strengthen the institutional capacities of public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa to support research and evidence-based policies that will contribute to economic and social development.

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.