We go 'nuts' for our cashews

Did you know that some cashew nut processing plants pay their workers as little as 30p per day and often don’t supply their workers with the correct protective equipment?

An important cash crop in India...

In India, cashew nuts are one of the most important plantation crops to the country. The soil and climate in Goa is perfect for growing cashews. We stock Goan Ethical Cashews. These nuts are grown on organic soil where they are not artificially watered, no GM inputs, no contamination from other crops or products and the farms must follow strict sustainable practices.

More reasons why these nuts are so special...

Harvested by hand

Goan Cashews are hand-harvested. The nuts are picked when the fruit has ripened and has naturally fallen to the ground beneath the crop. Because the fruits are allowed to ripen naturally and remain untouched until then, the nuts develop an amazing flavour. Often the fruits producing ‘cheaper’ nuts are picked too early and must be dried out in the sun before the nut can be removed.

Ethical Practices

We use a lovely family business from Birmingham who import the nuts but their supplier, Zantye, has been exporting the nuts since as far back as 1928.  Zantye has been awarded special certification for its ethical practice. Over 250 local farmers handpick the nuts and they are paid a premium for these cashews  -5% above the price, controlled by the government.

Zantye cashew nuts’ processing units generate hundreds of employment opportunities and a staggaring 90% of their employees are women.  They are employed on a daily contract or permanent basis and are paid well above the minimum wage for the area. They also receive festival bonuses and flexible working.

Zantye has created a college specialising in business and IT, an eye hospital and a cooperative bank.

Support Goan Cashews and support our little business too...

So as you can see, there is a reason that the organic cashew nuts that we sell are so special and why they cost you a little more. Buying your cashews from us supports our independent business and also the Goan cashew producers who ensure that they can continue to support their local and national economy. Even though these nuts personally cost us more to buy we have chosen not to pass this cost on to you and keep our price at almost the same as our non-organic cashews.

....Please remember this if you think they’re pricey – there is a really good reason and in reverse, there could be a really bad reason why you find cashew nuts really cheap in supermarkets.