Feasibility of Fairtrade Adoption by Cashew Farmers and its Potential Contribution to the Sustainability in Guinea- Bissau

Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony, has been heavily affected by constant political instabilities since its independence in 1973. The country produces high-quality cashew nuts, but the dysfunctionality of home institutions has produced an inefficient supply chain which pushed smallholder farmers into poverty and severe food insecurity. Voluntary certifications which encourage micro-level organizations based on cooperatives present a solution to thousands of farmers. This empirical study provided primary insights on determining the feasibility of Fairtrade adoption for the cashew cooperatives and analysed whether the promises of Fairtrade can potentially contribute to the sustainability of the supply chain in Guinea Bissau. The study considered four cooperatives covering four different regions. The findings showed that cashew cooperatives meet some of the Fairtrade standards such as consisting of smallholder farmers and being primary decision makers of their cashew orchard management. Still, there are practices and behaviours which don’t align with Fairtrade principles such as the use of hired child labour. Adoption of Fairtrade would contribute to the sustainability of the supply chain through increasing farmgate prices, reliable market, etc which would increase farmers’ income, improve food security, and enhance communities’ development. Future research should include other players in the supply chain such as traders and exporters.