In the arid and semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, where water is scarce and climate pressure is high, some agricultural crops stand out for their ability to become real economic drivers. These are known as “cash crops”, or high added value crops, because they combine adaptation to difficult conditions, commercial potential on international markets and the ability to generate sustainable income through processing and diversification of uses. Several plants, such as aloe vera and certain spices, could illustrate this dynamic. Two crops are of particular interest to us: moringa and cashew nuts.
Strong potential for industrialisation and diversification
These examples show that the real wealth of these crops lies not only in their ability to grow in constrained environments, but above all in their potential for industrialisation and diversification. Investing in such crops means investing in agriculture that goes beyond survival to become a lever for economic and food sovereignty. At a time when global demand is turning towards natural, sustainable and traceable products, these high added-value crops offer producing countries a rare opportunity to combine ecological resilience with economic prosperity.
Cash crops: examples of cashew nuts and moringa
Although moringa and cashew nuts are very different, they have a lot in common when it comes to creating wealth. Both have found their place in dynamic global markets, driven by favourable consumer trends: the search for superfoods in the case of moringa, and the growing popularity of dried fruit in the case of cashew nuts. In both cases, the added value lies not so much in raw production as in processing and marketing.
Dried and powdered moringa leaves are exported to specialised nutrition and wellness markets, while its seeds provide a fine oil sought after in cosmetics. Cashew nuts are following a similar trajectory: while Africa now produces more than half the world’s cashew nuts, most of the profits still elude local producers, with the nuts being processed in Asia before being re-exported. However, the development of local processing units, whether for grinding and packaging moringa or hulling and roasting cashew nuts, opens the way to better capture of economic value.
These activities generate jobs, boost rural economies and create higher-margin export opportunities, while gradually integrating producers into international value chains.
A development challenge for local economies
In addition to international markets, the added value of these crops is also reflected in local economies. The development of processing industries creates a web of non-agricultural jobs, particularly for women and young people, who are often marginalised in rural areas. A moringa processing plant can generate several dozen direct jobs and as many indirect jobs in collection, packaging and logistics. Cashew nut shelling plants, for their part, mobilise a large workforce and help to structure entire rural areas around new economic centres. These multiplier effects strengthen local resilience, diversify sources of income and help to reduce rural poverty.
Through our partnership with Les Domaines Agricoles (see Domseeds Apexagri partnership), our Apexagri team supports high added-value crop projects in arid and semi-arid regions, to turn these local crops into economic development levers that benefit an entire local ecosystem.