This write up quantifies the contribution that shea nut makes to the total income of rural households belonging to different economic groups. Also, it quantifies the involvement of women in shea nuts and fruits collection and processing.
In Africa, the unique experience of each of the 16 million rural women who make a living from shea nut inspires us more and more every day. Shea nut is an important crop, both economically and socially. It employs 4 million women for export and generates USD 237 million a year in income at the community level in West Africa. At the household level, shea nut accounts for up to 12% of household income and up to 32% of cash available, which is earned during the lean season. Moreover, shea nut collection and processing were found to provide a valuable source of cash income to female household members who otherwise have very few income possibilities.
Shea nut is crucial for rural women families and their livelihoods and for their generation. Shea nut collection and processing is a way for households to diversify their livelihood strategy and decrease their vulnerability to food insecurity and climate variability.
If the ban is imposed the biggest looses will be the rural women groups who will loose millions of dollars because the local processors who are already established will have an edge and will monopolise to dictate shea nut price. Thus, the shea nut prices can drastically come down to even half of the existing market prices. So, if Ghana’s shea nut export value amounts to be USD 237 million, then the rural women will be loosing USD 100 million per season due to export ban.
In this context, if shea nut export ban is implemented, there is a likely threat that rural women may not be willing to pick shea nuts as usual for the fear of not being sold after catering to the domestic processing industry. So, this might drastically reduce the volumes of shea nut kernels and hence the availability of shea nut kernels to all the stakeholders involved in the supply chain.
Government is requested to develop such a mechanism where local industry supply is maintained and promoted for processing of shea nut kernels and the surplus should be marketed for export so that the supply chain remains intact.
