Does Costco Really Sell Half Of The World's Cashews?

With roughly 3.85 million metric tons of in-shell cashews produced globally in 2022 per Statista, you'd think consumers would be as geographically widespread as the growers. However, cashews arriving from major resource regions, such as the Ivory Coast, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Tanzania, reach the majority of consumers from a single buyer. That's Costco, headquartered in Washington State, which is responsible for an extraordinary 50% of cashews sold in the world. But lest you imagine mega-producers or slick corporate farms, the truth is mostly the opposite. 

In fact, Costco's buying teams liaison with scores of independent nut farmers in at least 20 countries, many devoted solely to cashews. For example, the company sources from, and supports, an estimated 2.5 million independent cashew farmers in Africa alone. With countless local livelihoods on the line, plus Costco's unabated high-volume cashew needs, the stakes are high. That's why the company invests heavily in farming communities, including infrastructure, local economies, training, processing facilities, tree planting, schools, child care, health services, diversity programs, and more.  

Costco shares stories about installing community wells for clean water, training farmers in beekeeping and tree pruning, and incorporating child care and breastfeeding facilities in a cashew factory to create a more comfortable and inclusive work environment. It all supports diversity and broadens beneficial skill sets for both sides of the buy/sell equation. Now, when reaching for those oversized bags of cashews at Costco warehouses, you'll have a bit of insight and connection to the lands and hands that grow and process them.

A large portion of Costco nuts, including cashews, are part of the company's private Kirkland Signature line. That gives Costco control over the types of nuts offered and how they're packaged. We all recognize the boxy, hard plastic nut containers with jug-like handles, filled with 40 ounces of cashews in various iterations: roasted, sea salt, unsalted, organic, and more. Those are still available from some online resellers, but you'll now more likely find Costco's Kirkland Signature cashews packaged in lighter, resealable plastic bags. 

That evolving change is purpose-driven by a commitment to overhauling the Costco supply stream, introducing more post-consumer recycled materials. When you happen to sell half the world's cashews, even incremental changes equal a whole lot of Earth friendliness. Costco is also one of the world's leading retailers by revenue, raking in total net sales of at least 237 billion in U.S. dollars from 861 global warehouses in 2023, according to Statista. Within those staggering statistics, fathom this: About $300,000 of that revenue every single week comes from cashews, according to the authors of "The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z."

When putting our tips for shopping at Costco to use, you can still purchase the same beloved cashew varieties in the 40-ounce quantities, just in bags rather than jugs. Apart from the core whole-cashew products, you'll also find them in other Costco pantry staples, such as mixed nuts, variety packs, chocolates, Costco snack bars, and in smaller-quantity bags of Butter Toffee Cashews and Cashew Clusters with Almonds and Pumpkin Seeds.