Research & Development

LEAD International’s help goes beyond cashew nuts. Our processing collaborators are constantly looking at ways to create innovative products from cashew fruit, nuts, and production “waste.”

Local producers found ways to improve the net return on splits and pieces through incorporation of the cashews into trail mixes, cookies, nutrition bars, and spreads. Beyond cashews local economic interest groups in our field have identified and begun processing fruits into dried product as well as jams. We all work together to find ways to maximize their profits and capacity to generate income. LEAD’s work in cashew production has created approaches to agri-processing that can be scaled and replicated with other raw products.

By offering new product options to the regional producers we provide them with production diversification that allows them to employ more people with less risk. When cashews are not in season, or when cashew stocks run out, peanut, mango, coconut, papaya, jackfruit and bananas can all be made into salable goods.

From cashews alone our partners have developed more than thirty unique products! Together we review market potential. Through taste testing and sample marketing we find out exactly what will sell regionally.

We therefore constantly are looking for philanthropic investors who would like to be involved in capacity expansion and start up ventures. Professionals with market research abilities and an understanding of food production and systems development are desirable as short-term mentors.