Robust International, a global trader of sesame and cashew nuts, is expanding its footprint in Africa with three new processing plants now operational in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mozambique. The company, headquartered in Singapore, is transitioning from traditional trading to a fully integrated supply chain model – bringing more value creation to the regions where it sources.
The investment enables Robust to purchase sesame and cashew directly from local cooperatives and farmers, ensuring that processing happens locally rather than overseas. This approach not only strengthens agricultural value chains but also creates 1,100 jobs at the new plants and supports around 600,000 smallholder farmers, where Robust is a major off-taker.
Impact Fund Denmark co-invested with the Austrian DFI OeEB, the Dutch FMO and the British BII.