Strengthened cooperatives 
and improved product quality

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.

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.