This report discusses the general uses of industrial hemp and how they are reflected in international production and trade statistics. Based on current practical experiences and empirical expertise it also defines the steps to be taken by developing countries where climate and agronomic characteristics would suit the cultivation of hemp to exploit its economic and social potential. Industrial hemp is commonly known as not having intoxicant properties. Nonetheless industrial hemp remains a controversial plant as it is still often mistakenly associated with an intoxicant use. A negative connotation still prevails despite several millennia of history of industrial and medicinal applications. Such connotation is due in part to confusion about the botanical characteristics and chemotype of the plant.

Cashew nuts enjoy increasing popularity all around the globe. The top three cashew-consuming countries – India the United States of America and Germany - lie on three different continents. Cashews accounted for 17 per cent of world tree nut production in 2019/20 making it the third most popular tree nut after almonds and walnuts (INC 2020). Cashew nuts are consumed in a variety of forms including as salty or sweet snacks ingredient of desserts and savory dishes or further processed into cashew butter or ingredient of a variety of spreads sauces bars and drinks. Rising demand for these products has led global cashew production to more than double between 2000 and 2018 (see Chapter 3). This report takes stock of the global cashew market and gives an overview of cashew production trade patterns and policies. It also highlights opportunities for the cashew sector to foster value addition and diversification in cashew-growing countries and its potential contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The series “Commodities at a Glance” aims to collect present and disseminate accurate and relevant statistical information linked to international primary commodity markets in a clear concise and reader-friendly format.