OUR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Our ultra-modern production facility is specifically designed to reduce our environmental footprint and contribute to the circular economy:

• We process cashew nuts directly in the country of origin near where they are grown. This avoids the widespread export of raw cashew nuts to Vietnam or India for processing.
• A large photovoltaic system powers our plants mainly by solar energy.
• We use an adiabatic cooling system (no heat or mass is transferred between the system and the environment). This creates a pleasant working environment and reduces electricity consumption by around 80%, compared to conventional AC systems.
• Cashew nut shells are reused as a carbon-neutral substitute to fossil fuels and the resulting ash can be used as an additive to increase cement strength in nearby cement factories.
• We’ve developed a water management approach that draws on four different subsystems – including desalinated seawater, rainwater and wastewater treated on site – to reduce water usage by 20% compared to comparable facilities.
• Through training and capacity building, we support organic cultivation and increase yields with fewer resources.

Our 250 employees are Nuts & More’s most valued asset, and we take our responsibility as community employers very seriously. We provide our staff with:

• A safe and comfortable working environment.
• All necessary equipment to prevent harmful consequences of the acids contained in raw cashews, including a cooling system, workwear, gloves and masks. These are routinely inspected to ensure they are still providing adequate protection.
• A hygienic working environment which includes free laundry for workwear, clean drinking water and lunch daily. We also pay the transportation costs of our workers.
• Fair employment conditions with paid holidays, social insurance and salaries above the local average.
• Gender equality and equal pay.
• No child labour.
• Ongoing training opportunities.

Our business model has been designed to actively drive positive agricultural development and reduce our environmental footprint in a way that also ensures increased income for local farmers:

• We provide local farmers with support and training in the fields of sustainable farming. This increases yields and quality.
• We offer a purchase guarantee for their cashew nuts at fair prices.
• We pay for delivered goods promptly using M-PESA (an online money transfer system in Kenya).

We have also created additional jobs in the area. These include daily food delivery to the organization, field officers responsible for farmer registration, farmer support and internal auditing of the farmers.