Côte d’Ivoire is taking its cashew beyond the commodity market and into the world of gastronomy, as the country prepares to showcase the culinary potential of its flagship crop in Paris.

The Ivorian cashew sector will be represented at the 10th edition of the SAGASDOM, a major celebration of Afro-Caribbean gastronomy scheduled to take place in Paris from October 2 to 4, 2026.

Three Ivorian chefs Olivier Gnamien, Jessica Berment and Nina Loukou are expected to lead culinary demonstrations and present recipes highlighting the versatility of cashew.

The initiative, supported by the Conseil du Coton et de l’Anacarde, aims to promote Ivorian cashew not only as an export commodity, but also as a high-value ingredient for cooking and pastry.

Côte d’Ivoire has been the world’s leading producer and exporter of raw cashew nuts since 2021. In 2025, the country’s production exceeded 1.5 million tonnes, representing more than a quarter of global output.

The country is now seeking to capture more value from its production by expanding local processing. Côte d’Ivoire has emerged as the world’s second-largest exporter of processed cashew kernels and third-largest cashew processor.

The Paris showcase comes as the government and industry seek to transform the country’s position in the global cashew market from a major supplier of raw nuts to a producer of processed and premium products.

For Ivorian producers and processors, the ambition is increasingly clear: move further up the value chain, create more local economic opportunities and build international demand for products made from Ivorian cashew.

In Paris, the humble cashew nut will therefore have a bigger role to play not simply as an agricultural export, but as an ingredient capable of finding a place in international cuisine and high-end gastronomy.