HE SHEA BUTTER INDUSTRY: THE SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD FOR WOMEN IN NORTHERN GHANA UNDER THREAT.

The shea tree is an economic natural resource found in the dry Savannah belt of Sub-Saharan Africa (Shea belt), which spans from Senegal to Sudan and Ethiopia (FAO, 2021). The lifespan for the shea tree is around 300 years if well protected from environmental hazards, while it takes 15 to 20 years for the shea tree to start producing fruits.

The shea tree has an overwarming productive period more than other cash crops like cocoa, mango, rubber tree, and coffee. It is estimated that the productive period for the shea to produce fruits is up to 200 years (MoFA, 2020).

With Ghana’s life expectancy at 65.41%, the shea tree can potentially support three 3 different generations in their household income expenditure for life. It is therefore noted that many families have benefited from the shea tree across many generations.

The socio-economic and ecological importance of the shea tree is enormous in northern Ghana. These include: livelihood, cultural significance, agroforestry, and carbon sequestration. For instance, shea trees are found in parkland systems where they are left to grow with cultivated crops, contributing to biodiversity conservation. It is also established that shea parklands sequester an important amount of carbon dioxide as a way of combating climate change.

The shea tree is an essential economic tree in northern Ghana, where it grows wild and supports the livelihood outcomes of households in rural communities. The shea industry in northern Ghana is an integral part of the local economy leading the non-traditional export for the country, contributing to rural income and poverty reduction.

The shea industry is an income-generating activity for rural households. Shea harvesting and processing are a key source of annual income for many rural households, as women earn over half of their annual income from it (UNDP, 2021). Additionally, the shea nut is also a source of fruit for farmers as well as many other people across the country.

Shea is a source of empowering women and preserving the environment across many generations. The shea industry plays a gender role that is largely dominated by women, who pick shea nuts for sale as well as process shea butter, which is a traditional and main occupation.

Both the government and NGOs have identified the shea industry in northern Ghana as a key factor for poverty reduction. For instance, the government’s initiative, such as the institution of price floors for nut purchases, enhances poverty alleviation in rural communities.

Despite the value of the shea fruits, the extraction of shea butter for traditional cooking, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics uses, the tree is under serious threat mainly because of climatic changes as well as human economic activities in northern Ghana, where the tree is found in the wild. The implication of this threat to the shea tree will be to the disadvantage of the northern Ghanaian women whose livelihood depends on the shea.

Climate change poses a threat to the shea industry. The changes in rainfall patterns over the year have affected the shea tree. The rains are either late or early, and intense downpours are affecting the shea tree, on which rural household livelihoods depend.

Deforestation is a growing threat to the shea trees in northern Ghana. Many households depend on the physical environment for their household livelihood outcomes. These livelihood activities by households lead to the cutting down of shea trees in their natural habitats. Some of these livelihood activities include farming, construction of roads and buildings, firewood as fuel, and charcoal production. All these activities contribute to compromising the long-term sustainability of the shea industry.

Charcoal production and firewood for fuel are two main devastating human activities that deplete the shea tree population in northern Ghana (WHO, 2020). The tree produces efficient charcoal for mostly urban dwellers and firewood as fuel for rural communities in households. The shea tree is a highly rated source of wood for charcoal production, despite its economic value to rural households in northern Ghana.

Local cake sellers (women) use shea butter to fry their cakes in rural markets. These sellers, who are mostly women, pick their shea nuts during the fruiting season and process the nuts into shea butter. The shea butter gives a unique taste to the locally prepared cakes. In a survey at Piisi market in the Upper West Region, out of 20 respondents, the study revealed that 9 respondents, representing 45% used both shea butter and refined oil, while 6 respondents, who made up 30% used only refined oil to prepare their cakes. Only 5 respondents representing 25% still use shea butter to prepare their cakes. The sellers assigned several reasons for the shift from the use of shea butter to refined oil and these include: high cost of the shea nuts and the butter, insufficiency of shea nuts in their communities, and lack of time to pick shea nuts from their farms.

Even though the shea tree has a productive period of 200 years, it can be cut short by climate change, human activities, and pest infestation. It is noted that stem borer poses a significant mortality risk to young shea trees (MoFA, 2022). The shea tree is mostly found in the wild in northern Ghana and must be preserved for future generations.

There are several conservation efforts by both the government and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) to protect the shea tree through programmes like sustainable cultural practices, afforestation, protecting parklands, as well as providing field training and resources to communities.

The Northern Ghana Shea (NGS) is a social enterprise that works with over 1000 women in the Upper West Region (MoFA, 2022). The NGO provides women with capacity building and market linkages for shea nut pickers and shea butter producers. The main objective of this NGO is to empower the northern woman through the exploration of the shea tree, mostly found in the wild in northern Ghana.

Kreativ WIZ is a women's cooperative located in Takpo in the Nadowli-Kaleo District, Upper West Region of Ghana. This cooperative produces organic, unrefined shea butter through fair trade principles and ensures higher payment for the women processors. The aim of this cooperative is to enhance environmental conservation through good cultural management practices.

Although the global demand for shea butter is increasing, there is a lack of efforts to enhance sustainable cultural management practices throughout the value chain for the environment, collectors (shea nut pickers), and the livelihoods of shea butter processors.