WBI (White Bird International) is involved in this project as it sees the need to start local processing, which can create an economic environment that will alleviate poverty by creating employment and added value, and thus build self-respect for Benin’s citizens.The core business of Kenza Investissement Benin S.A. (founded Nov. 9th 2004), is to invest in cashew processing in Benin and by doing so, become a major processor of cashew nut kernels in Benin; in this case a factory in Tchaourou.
The representative, Mr. Abou Bakr Adjibade, has been involved in the cashew nut business and as such has inside knowledge of the Benin cashew industry as well as other African countries.
The pilot project (the Benin factory called Afokantan Benin Cashew S.A.) shall have complete market access via nut brokering company Global Trading & agency bv
The Benin partners see an increasing cashew nut production with practically no local processing capacity. This leaves the local farmers vulnerable, with only one market outlet : Indian traders who buy the raw nuts for processing in India. To counter this trend, there is a need to develop the local processing capacity.

At this moment, no shelled cashew nuts (kernels) are exported from Benin. All nuts leave the country unprocessed for shelling and further processing in India.
As the nuts are processed in India, they lose their identity and are exported from India as Indian cashew nut kernels.
Thus, processing the cashew nuts in Benin (instead of in India) is merely a shift in the origin of the cashew nut kernels, and would not imply putting additional product on the market. Therefore the sales of these cashew nut kernels on the international market is guaranteed. (only at a later stage shall we work on becoming organically certified and sell –part of the production- in that niche segment of the market).
The main focus of the pilot project is to create a favourable environment in Benin for local processing of cashew nuts. The good example will have many followers and new investments shall undoubtedly be made in Benin once the pilot plant has proven it’s success.
The ultimate goal is to create jobs, to create an economic environment that allows investment in schooling, health care, etc. but also to let the many growers in the country benefit from an increase in raw nut prices, an increase in yield per tree (which increases their income straight away).