Felix Adamu Nandonde, a Senior Lecturer in marketing at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) with over 12 years of private sector engagement in various value chain commodities and value addition projects. He actively participated in domestic and regional trade policy dialogues within the East African Community (EAC). Mr. Nandonde co-founded GMF Business Research Academy, a private consultancy firm, and serves as the General Secretary of the Agricultural Economic Society of Tanzania (AGREST). He has a prolific academic record with 26 publications, including a co-edited book, 'Supermarket Retailing in Africa.' His consultancy services span international organizations, government bodies, and a prior role as a Sales Consultant in Business Banking at the National Bank of Commerce (NBC) Tanzania Limited.

George Mgendi, an independent consultant based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is a seasoned professional in agricultural development and value chain optimization. With a track record of achievements, George has successfully led projects, secured substantial grants, and made impactful contributions to the field. His work includes boosting market access for small-scale farmers, mentoring start-up agro-enterprises, and conducting influential research. With a Ph.D. in Industrial Economics, George is committed to empowering Africa's low-income communities through sustainable business practices. To collaborate or inquire, contact George Mgeni : Address: P.O Box 53620, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Mobile: (+255)717434357 and e-mail: gmgendi@gmail.com

Dr. Fortunus A. Kapinga is a Principal Agricultural Research Officer currently serving as the Director of the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) at the Naliendele Centre, specializing in cashew research coordination. With 32 years of experience as a Plant Breeder, he previously held roles as the Lead Scientist and National Coordinator of the Cashew Research Programme in Tanzania from 2017 to 2019. Dr. Kapinga possesses extensive field expertise in cashew management, covering agronomy, propagation and crop protection.

 He played a pioneering role in establishing cashew polyclonal seed gardens and scion gardens in Tanzania, contributing to the development and release of 54 cashew varieties, making Tanzania the first African country to register such a large number of improved cashew varieties for public use. Additionally, he has authored or co-authored 26 publications, including chapters in the Encyclopedia of Life Support System (EOLSS) and co-authored books on cashew varieties in Tanzania.

Asangye has more than 20 years’ experience in working with the Government as an Economist, engaging in planning, designing, and implementing strategic transformation in the areas of Agriculture vide now leading an Important Institute which Manages Warehouse Receipt system for which strategic cash crops produced in the country trade their commodities via it. On the Tourism Sector and Higher Education Students Financing Mr. Bangu has also contributed in the significant changes of the sectors.

In recent years, he has engaged himself with institutional transformation for public institutions towards utilization of ICT and the establishment of computerized systems to enhance service delivery to the public. He has initiated integrated computerization of operations and interactions with the key stakeholders and links up with relevant ICT systems used by stakeholders with the newly created institutional systems. Asangye has vast experience in innovations and technological transfers and managing income-generating activities

Dr. Menge Dominic is a Senior Lecturer in Plant Science in the School of Pure, applied and Health Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences at Maasai Mara University, Kenya. He is a Principal Investigator in a research group that focuses on Plant Disease Epidemiology. His research emphasizes upon identifying various pathogens, developing disease severity scales, developing management strategies and identifying sources of resistance to mitigate losses caused by fungal diseases. 

Dr. Menge is passionate about reproducible research having supervised many masters and PhD students. He has published widely and acted as referee for scientific articles in numerous journals including Plant Disease, Mycological Research, Phytopathology and African Plant Protection. He is a member of various national and international scientific societies including American microbiology Society and African Phytopathology Group.

Currently serving as the Assistant Director for Policy Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Agriculture, this professional oversees the coordination and supervision of policy analysis, evaluation, and formulation within the Department of Policy and Planning. With a background in a Master's degree in International Trade from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and a BSc in Agricultural Economics from Sokoine University of Agriculture, they possess extensive expertise in project coordination, agricultural economics, marketing, and value chain analysis. 

Their skills include policy analysis, review, formulation, and simulation using various methodologies, alongside proficiency in integration economics, multilateral trading systems, and trade negotiation. Additionally, they hold a role as a member of the Boards of Trustees for the Agriculture Input Fund (AGITF) and have undertaken numerous consulting projects.

Shakti Pal is an international cashew industry expert with over 27 years of experience in the production, processing, and policy reform facilitation of cashews across the globe, specifically in Africa. He spends most of his cashew engagement time in Africa, lived 23 years in different parts of Africa, where lends his expertise to the emerging cashew industry by providing strategic support in planning and implementation of cashew nut cultivation, processing competitiveness, upstream market linkages, enabling environment along and across the value chain partners. Shakti led various cashew development projects in different parts of Africa.

Since 2001, he successfully assisted, developing, and strengthening more than fifty cashew processing plants and over 300,000 farmers across eight African countries: Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Benin, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte D'Ivoire and Nigeria.

Mr. Riganda holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Saint Augustine University of Tanzania, along with a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management (Monitoring and Evaluation) from the Tanzania Institute of Project Management. He also possesses a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Dar es Salaam.

With over 17 years of service at the Tanzania Investment Centre, Mr. Riganda currently serves as the Investment Promotion Manager, specializing in attracting international investments. His career at the Centre has seen him in various managerial roles, including Public Relations Manager, Manager for the Southern and Northern Zone, and Investment Facilitation Manager (Aftercare). Additionally, he's been a member of the Integrity Committee since July 2023.

André Mahoutin TANDJIEKPON is the Executive Secretary of the Consultative International Cashew Cajou based in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. A natural resources manager, environmentalist, and sustainable development specialist, he is an expert with over thirty years' experience in the cashew industry. André is very familiar with the language of public and private stakeholders, cashew industry governance and the facilitation of institutional dialogues.

Dr. Yahaya Bukari mycologist at the Plant Pathology Division of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana ( CRIG) working on the management of fungal diseases of cocoa, cashew, coffee, kola and shea. His research interests are in plant disease epidemiology, use of plant products as bio-fungicides, effect of chemical fungicides on the environment and screening of fungicides for the control of diseases. He has been a resource person for the Master Training Programme (MTP) since 2018.

Dr Paul Adu-Gyamfi is a cashew plant breeder with a strong passion for developing new cashew varieties with better adaptation to hostile environments. He holds a PhD in Agriculture (Breeding and Genetics) from the University of Sydney, Australia, and is currently working with the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) as a research scientist.

Prof. Maulid Walad Mwatawala is the Deputy Vice Chancellor - Academic, Research, and Consultancy at Sokoine University of Agriculture. His expertise lies in Crop Protection, and he possesses a wealth of governance experience, having served on various councils and committees, including the Governing Council of the Tropical Pesticides Research Institute (TPRI), the Ministerial Advisory Board (MAB) of the Tanzania Food and Drugs Agency (TFDA), and as Chairman of the Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Sub-committee (PQPS) in the Ministry of Agriculture. 

Prof. Mwatawala is also involved in academia, serving as Chairman of the Board of the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI) and as a member of the Senate and Appointment and Human Resources Management Committee at the Moshi Cooperative University (MoCU). Additionally, he is an Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania, Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public, and an active member of various professional organizations.

Senior Research Scientist, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG)
Ag. Head of the Entomology Division

Godfred, presently a Senior Research Scientist and Acting Head of the Entomology Division at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, holds a Ph.D. from the University of Reading, UK, and a BSc. in Agriculture from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. 

His research interests encompass myco-insecticides for cashew, cocoa, and coffee pest control, plant extracts for pest management, monitoring and forecasting methods for pest management strategies, and enhancing insecticide application techniques. He also imparts training on Integrated Pest Management, pesticide residue's impact on food safety and human health, and pest management to agricultural institutions.

Zena Mpenda, Ph.D., specializes in agricultural economics, with a focus on food safety standards for agro-food exports in developing countries. She earned her degree from Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania, in collaboration with Copenhagen University, Denmark. Currently, she's a lecturer at the College of Economics and Business Studies, Sokoine University of Agriculture.

Dr. Mpenda is also Deputy Principal of the College and Head of the Department of Trade and Investment. Her extensive publications cover food safety, food crop processing, and policies for cashew nuts and poultry value chains. Her research spans agricultural policy, market analysis, and policy prioritization for various commodities, including Nile Perch fish, maize, rice, and wheat. Dr. Mpenda's consultancies include value chain analysis, agro-processing, international trade standards, and research on women's empowerment in agriculture, informing her current work and presentations.

Is the Assistant Director in charge of cashew Development at the Directorate of Crop Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Ghana. He is a Crops production expert, a Cashew Value Chain Expert, and an adult extension trainer. 

He has been a facilitator for the Cashew Master Training Program for the past Five (5) years. He holds a BSc. and MPhil. in Agricultural Science from the University of Ghana. He has worked as a trainer for the past seven years and is a key player in research activities. He is an experienced Agronomist working in the Crops Sub-Sector for the past 13 years. 

He has progressed from Assistant Agricultural Officer to the position of Assistant Director in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Ghana, and has been coordinating all cashew programs in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

holds a PhD (Plant Breeding) from the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). His main specialty is Crop Improvement.

His research interests include breeding for resistance, marker-assisted selection, biotechnology, climate change resilience, agro-ecological agriculture, conservation agriculture, and Good Agriculture Practices (GAPs) for perennial and horticultural crops. 

He has been serving as Vice President of the Crop Science Association of Tanzania. since 2022 to date. Dr. Tryphone has published 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is a member of different projects like the use of Molecular Markers for increased efficiency of breeding for diseases in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) in eastern Africa, Tanzania. 

The Taiwan-African Vegetable Initiative (TAVI) Project and many others. He is a member of the Tanzania Agronomy Society (TAS) and Tanzania Entomological Society.

Managing Director at Oltermare
Director at NCP/Nuts Cleaning & Packaging
CEO at Overseas Projects & Services Ltd.

Mr. Francis Alfred has been The Director General of the Cashewnut Board of Tanzania Since April 2019. He is a holder of a Bsc, Agriculture General; Msc. MBA in International Business and Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management. 

Mr. Francis has vast experience in dealing with agricultural-related economic activities having worked in various roles in both Private and multiple Government institutions for more than 18 years. He also worked as a Senior officer in the Tea Board of Tanzania; So he has a broader, detailed, and varied experience in devising policies that have significant output among the cashew industry stakeholders, especially farmers. 

He is a humble and results-oriented person striving to transform the Cashew sub-sector in Tanzania in order to increase the contribution of the crop to the growth of the national economy