Introducing Georgette Taraf, ACA’s Newly Elected President

Following the elections in September, the ACA Executive Committee will now be led by Georgette Taraf, who succeeds Idrissa Kilangi, who acted as ACA President since March 2011.  Madame Taraf hails from Benin, where she first became involved in cashew in 1996 as a buyer. A decade later, Madame Taraf entered the export side of the industry, establishing NAD&Co Industry in 2008, which opened a processing facility in 2011. She began working with ACA as head of the national committee in 2010, going on to serve as National Representative. This year, she helped establish a national platform for Beninese cashew stakeholders and managed organization in Benin for the successful 7^th ACA Annual Conference in Cotonou.

Why did you want to become president of ACA?

I hoped to be President, to show our African sisters that firstly, we women can invest in industry in general, and also in particular in the cashew industry.

How long have you been working in cashew, and what first led you to participate in the ACA?

I have been working  in the field of cashews for at least 15 years. I have been involved in ACA since its inception, because it a Pan-African association that advocated for the promotion of African industry.

What are your short term and long term goals for your presidency?
 The strategy is already drawn. It is primarily to promote the birth of national platforms and develop the nut processing industry by stimulating actors, encouraging financial institutions to invest in the sector, and seeking government support for development policies related to the sector.

As national representative for Benin, you played a huge role by hosting the conference. What aspects of the conference were you most proud of?

As President of the organizing committee of the conference, I was really amazed by several factors: (1) The will and volunteerism of all members who worked to make this conference a success. Thank you to all. (2) The high-level panel, which was the first which had the actual presence of the ministers of fraternal countries. It showed the interest that our governments have in this sector. (3) Finally, the Expo, which is always interesting.

How do you envision the role of ACA in the cashew industry will change in the next five years?

The role of the ACA in support of the industry should be one that links skills and services with country platforms where the industry is growing. ACA must deepen the partnerships that develop with financial institutions in order to have institutions that master the role they have to play in funding the sector. The ACA must be able to connect its members with all the services that they need.

What do you think are the most interesting changes taking place in the African cashew industry?

One of the biggest changes taking place in the industry is the growing national popularity for the processing industry, as well as the development of technologiesthat facilitate better work in factories.We are also seeing a new perspective from nut buyers who are looking to Africa as a producer of cashew kernels, from which they hope for and expect a lot.