Up to 3 million people in West and Central Africa, live off the income of the shea sector. SNV is actively engaged in promoting it in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana: 3 countries which account for 88.4% of the shea nut exports in the region.

SNV comes to “Shea 2010” with clear ideas about how poor men and women could benefit even more from shea production, both now and in the future.

“We at SNV help producers generate added value from their products, mostly for export: in order to improve income, it is crucial to focus on improving quality and developing marketing strategies for the sector.”, explains Aline Congo, Shea advisor from SNV Burkina Faso.   

Sustainability

SNV wants to promote what is called the “shea value chain concept”. This creates a long-term, effective and mutually beneficial trading relationship among actors, namely: the primary producers (mostly female pickers), the procurement agencies, the processors, the marketers and the consumer. In short: the value chain concept helps local farmers, tradesmen and producers earn more from the shea before it is shipped to the Western world or sold to the local market.

The Global Shea Conference, held in Bamako from the 16^th to the 19^th of March, gives SNV an opportunity to promulgate some key issues:

• A more inclusive value chain development that pays attention to the needs of the poor
• The development of clear and unambiguous national policies and industry standards that are responsive to the needs of all actors as well as sustained sector growth
• Pragmatic efforts to ensure that the industry’s resource base is sustainable
• The formation of a regional alliance that will ensure a coordinated effort at improving the industry

SNV’s message is clear: the “shea sector offers significant opportunities for poverty alleviation and economic growth  amongst  the  vulnerable, particularly women”.