Abstract
The Vichada region in eastern Colombia is known for its cashew production. Its pseudofruit, oil, and nut are agro-industrial products of great value in international markets. It is estimated that by 2025, cashew production in the region will reach approximately 100,000 cultivated hectares, which means a significant flow of the different products and byproducts of this crop to national and international markets. Using material-driven design methodologies, possibilities for creating material alternatives from the cashew shell, a byproduct of the nut opening, are explored. This allows for proposing new production and consumption scenarios, in which, on the one hand, the substitution of synthetic polymers within the productive chain. On the other hand, it involves the participation of the community in the development process, encouraging them to actively participate in research processes, contributing their knowledge and skills. This article reports a multidisciplinary approach to the development of materials from the agro-industrial byproducts of the cashew nut.