Group of women at a presentation

Improving Women Shea Collectors’ Capacity in Ghana

Strengthened cooperatives 
and improved product quality

CONTEXT AND CHALLENGES

Shea richness and its untapped economic potential

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) the shea sector employs an estimated 3 million women across West Africa, generating between USD 90 million and USD 200 million a year from exports, and promoting economic activities in communities. European companies play an important role in the shea industry in West Africa, accounting for more than 80% of exports to Europe, Asia and America.

In Ghana alone, 600,000 women collect and process shea across the five northern regions. Many of these women are the main income providers in their households, directly relying on shea to support their families. However, due to poor road networks in these communities, most of these women remain out of reach to potential buyers of the products.

This project implemented with the support of Invest for Jobs by the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) and partners from the private sector from November 2020 to Decembre 2022 aimed to address these challenges by connecting women shea collectors with buyers. The project sought to improve the capacities of women shea collectors through training and improved working conditions. It also aimed to boost the sector’s profitability by removing investment barriers of European and local companies through creating and strengthening cooperatives, improving product quality, and facilitating direct sourcing.

PROJECT APPROACH AND PROJECT GOALS

Promote investment in the shea value chain in Ghana

Through the public-private partnership project, women shea collectors were trained on topics ranging from governance of cooperatives to quality shea processing. They received pre-processing tools to put these lessons into practice. They were assured of a ready market, which meant a reduction of post-harvest losses and increased profit margins.

“Women cooperatives are key stakeholders in the empowerment agenda of the Global Shea Alliance. Participation by rural and urban women in the shea sector in general increases their economic independence through the income they generate from the activity,” explained the Managing Director of GSA, Mr. Aaron Adu in an address at the official launch of the project on 23 March 2021.

Prior to the project commencement, low product quality was identified as an investment barrier for both European and local firms. To address this, the project invested in training collectors, facilitating direct sourcing, and further developing other public-private partnerships. The GSA was selected as a strategic project partner due to its leading role and continuous effort in driving a more profitable shea industry in Ghana.

GSA and the partner companies involved aimed to achieve the following over the project’s two-year mandate:

  • Train 5,000 women on governance of cooperatives and quality shea processing
  • Improve working conditions for 24,000 women in the north of Ghana
  • Create 10 new cooperatives and strengthen an additional 40 existing cooperatives to support the creation of over 375 jobs.
Waage
Global Shea Alliance (GSA)

STATUS AND OUTLOOK

Jobs for women in the north of Ghana

The project significantly enhanced the economic participation of rural women in Ghana’s shea sector. By its completion in December 2022, 30,248 women, including 1,498 youth, had received specialised training in cooperative governance and quality shea processing as well as market linkages. Out of this, 26,733 received further support in the area of provision of personal protective equipment, thereby improving their working conditions. The project has also created a total of 552 jobs (516 for women, including 130 for young people) within the 50 partner cooperatives, which can now process shea for the local and export markets. The project gained strong interest from both European and Ghanaian private sector actors, including Fuji Oil Europe, Bunge Loders Croklaan, Mother Shea Ltd., OLENEX Sarl, Savannah Fruits Co. Ltd., and Sunlife Ltd., who recognised the potential of a more structured, traceable, and high-quality shea value chain.

Private sector contributions totalled EUR 621,544, supporting the construction of processing warehouses, provision of equipment, and supply of pre-processing tools.

Invest for Jobs supported the project by providing technical training and facilitating the formalisation of cooperatives, enabling farmer groups to engage in business more effectively and within formal market structures. As a result, individuals who gained employment through the project continue to work and are expanding access to markets. Others who adopted improved practices are experiencing sustained improvements in their working conditions. Building on the success of the project, a second phase was launched in December 2023, with an expanded scope aimed atreaching additional beneficiaries and supporting more companies within the sector.

The Global Shea Alliance (GSA) was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in the context of Invest for Jobs on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Project details

Project status

Completed

Project locations


Ghana Northern Territory

Project objectives

Job creation Training

Sector

Agri-Business

A project with

Companies

Partners

Fuji Oil Europe Bunge Loders Croklaan OLENEX Sarl Mother Shea Ltd Savannah Fruits Co. Ltd Sunlife Ltd

People and stories

Comfort Bugri: Trainings for a shea collector in Ghana

Contact

We are looking forward to hearing from you

Under the Invest for Jobs brand, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has put together a package of measures to support German, European and African companies in investment activities that have a high impact on employment in Africa. The Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" – the official title – offers comprehensive advice, contacts and financial support to overcome investment barriers. The development objective is to work together with companies to create up to 100,000 good jobs and to improve working conditions and social protection in its African partner countries.

Partner countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia.

Find out more about our services for companies, universities, chambers and associations: https://invest-for-jobs.com/en/offers

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