ACA Seal Approval Awarded to First Cashew Processing Factory

“People say you can’t have quality food producing factories in Africa. And we wanted to prove that wrong,” said Jace Rabe, CEO of Tolaro Global, a cashew processing factory located in Parakou, Benin.  Now, having become the first processor to be awarded the ACA Quality and Sustainability Seal, Tolaro Global has done just that.The Tolaro Global team proudly displays their ACA Seal Approval

The ACA Quality and Sustainability Seal is an industry-supported mark signaling compliance with international food safety, quality, and labor standards.  During the past five months, Tolaro Global has been implementing the Seal program, working with the ACA Seal team to develop systems to ensure the production of high quality and sustainable cashew.  With the support of Technoserve, trainings and exercises focused on issues ranging from HAACP systems to traceability procedures to salary plans. The dedicated management team addressed all recommendations, until, on May 25, a final audit confirmed that Tolaro Global had achieved the necessary standards to be approved for the ACA Seal.The ACA Seal team conducts a factory audit with Tolaro management

Rabe expressed his huge excitement at being the first processor to receive this distinction. “The ACA Seal has brought us up a whole level to a new playing field,” he said.  “We’ve only been processing cashew for a few months now and I can say we can compete with anybody. And I owe that to the motivation the Seal program has put in place.”

“We were so thrilled to partner with Tolaro as our first ACA Seal factory,” said Gillian Epule, ACA Seal Advisor. “The commitment to the program and Tolaro Global staff members apply the ACA Seal to the first box of kernels

positive mindset of their entire team have been huge assets throughout the process.”  She proclaimed this to be a milestone achievement for the African cashew sector, as it signals the beginning of a defined international quality standard for cashew kernels of African origin.