The International Tree Nut Council (INC) has unanimously elected Cuneyd Zapsu of Istanbul, Turkey as its president.


Zapsu replaces retiring President Don Soetaert, from the US, who served INC for ten years as president.


At its recent International Tree Nut Convention in Cape Town, South Africa, it was revealed that Zapsu, founder and partner of Balsu, one of the world’s leading hazelnut processing companies in Istanbul, serves on INC’s executive committee, co-founded the Turkish Hazelnut Promotion Group and co-chaired the US Hazelnut Council.


Zapsu is a member of the board and president of Azizler Holding AS; he was also chairman and president, Istanbul Exporters Union; and an executive member of the Turkish American Business Council. He is also a member of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association and the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland.


The INC said its mission is to increase global tree nut consumption by funding global nutrition research, participating in intergoverment and science committees, and publicising statistical and other global information about almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

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