SECTOR CAPABILITIES - Shea butter from Ghana
Ghana produces some of the finest quality shea butter and is available in large quantities for export. The country is one of the leading suppliers of shea butter and its derivatives globally. Its Ghanaian shea butter commands premium prices on the international market as the product is produced organically by default.
The shea value chain in Ghana is well-organized and predominantly women-led. There are a number of international shea industry players, NGO’s and other organizations operating in the sector:
- Global Shea Alliance
- USAID and TechnoServe (US-oriented)
- SNV (a Dutch Development Organization)
- Fair Trade Organization
- The Association of Church Development Projects (ACDEP)
- Savanna Farmers Marketing Company
- Ghana Shea Network
There are ongoing programmes by Ghana’s Government, working through its research institutions to domesticate the shea tree and shorten its maturity period considerably. This way, the private sector will be facilitated to go into large plantation farming to meet the growing demand for shea products. Efforts are also ongoing for Ghanaian shea butter producers to acquire global certifications in order to meet the high international standards and market requirements.
Reasons to buy
Ghanaian shea butter provide the following superior benefits and advantages:
- The shea butter is organic by default
- The sector is well-organized; many actors contribute to its further development
- Proximity of Ghana to the EU & other destination markets
- Strong government support and commitment to the sector
- Research & scientific institutional support
- Support by well-known international and local non-governmental organizations
- Sector dominated by rural women who play key roles in the shea value chain
Trade performance
Featured exporters
Nandomnorth Limited
Nandomnorth Limited is a business established to run a full-scale, integrated Shea business. It is an agribusiness company, cultivating Shea trees, harvesting Shea nuts and processing them into Shea butter, for export. The business involves three main activities which are the SBUs of the company, namely: Shea Tree Plantation Development;…Show: Nandomnorth Limited
Green Action Ghana
The Green Action is a specialized Ghanaian company that was founded in 2013 by a team of Ghanaian professionals with skills in agribusiness, management, agronomy, chemical engineering, finance and botany. Green Action is flexible and meticulous in its operations with equally flexible terms and conditions of doing business. The staff…Show: Green Action Ghana
Shebu Industries Ltd
SHEBU INDUSTRIES LIMITED is a private limited liability company incorporated under the companies code 1963 (ACT 179) on the 19th April 1999, with two share holders : Mr. Abe Incoom a Ghanaian citizen, and Dr. Kwabena Kyei-Dompreh. Shebu Industries Limited is an agro-based oil-mill company located in the northern region…Show: Shebu Industries Ltd
Useful links
The Global Shea Alliance
The Global Shea Alliance is a non-profit industry association with 560 members from 35 countries including women groups, brands and retailers, suppliers and NGOs. Through public-private partnership, the GSA promotes industry sustainability, quality practices and standards, and demand for shea in food and cosmetics.
The organisation has the vision to be the premier platform to satisfy the strategic interests and practical needs of its members, shea stakeholders – large and small – worldwide.
Global Mamas
Founded in 2003, the Global Mamas community is comprised of thousands of people from around the world working together with the mission of creating prosperity for African women and their families. The Mamas define prosperity as going beyond financial well-being to include happiness and good health. They achieve prosperity by creating and selling unique, handcrafted products of the highest quality. Being able to do the work they love and being empowered by financial independence leads to greater happiness. The Mamas realize their dreams of having the opportunity to support their families, send their children to school, improve their health, and save for the future.