Farmers sound the alarm as vital crop becomes nearly impossible to grow: 'Collapsing the local ... economy'
Shea nuts and shea butter may soon be more challenging to find for purchase as shea trees are struggling to survive.
Compounded by global market shifts, the trees' production is declining due to extreme weather and other impacts of a changing climate, with significant downsides for the domestic workforce.
As the local Business and Financial Times reported in early May, Ghana produces over 330 million pounds of shea nuts each year, with about 60 to 70% exported out of the country as raw nuts to be processed elsewhere. However, shea nut production has been declining for the past 10 years.
Shea farmers and others who process the nuts locally are struggling to sustain their yields and profits in the face of rising temperatures and drought conditions. A 2024 paper from Western University also identified pests, disease, reduced pollination, and illegal logging as potential risks to the trees. Logging for firewood and charcoal sources in particular are a prime threat, according to a March report from Mongabay.
Meanwhile, per B&FT, the global shea butter market is increasing by about 6 to 8% annually and is expected to reach $5.58 billion by 2033. International demand and "unregulated market activity" are driving raw nut exports and sending prices higher, threatening the livelihoods of Ghanaians who work with shea products locally.
Shea butter is commonly used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and cooking, so multiple businesses and industries depend on the crop's shrinking yields.
Exporting such a high percentage of Ghana's nut production is posing a challenge to many domestic workers and to the economy in northern Ghana, notably driven by rural women in shea-related jobs.
"This situation is negatively affecting pickers, processors and local businesses, many of which are women-led. The resulting market distortion is collapsing the local shea economy," the Ghana Shea Employers Association said at a press conference calling for a ban on raw nut exports.
With global temperatures projected to rise ever more and other challenges to production likely to continue, farmers, pickers, local nut processors, and supply chains worldwide could be in jeopardy.
Shea trees can offer environmental benefits — so harm to their growth is additionally concerning. In 2024, the United Nations Development Programme noted that in West Africa "approximately one billion shea trees as well as the surrounding parklands sequester around 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually."
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According to B&FT, the Employers Association has called on foreign investors to open processing facilities and create job opportunities within the country rather than seeing all the real profits simply follow raw nut exports out of the region.
There have also been efforts to fight damaging drought conditions and combat deforestation.
The Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming kicked off the Women in Shea Initiative several years ago to build a healthy supply chain, with one goal being the "preservation of the shea natural ecosystem in a particularly arid area." Originally, the project was set to run until 2030.
Per Mongabay, a reforestation project, powered largely by women in the region, is committed to planting seedlings, like acacia, to be used for firewood instead of shea trees.
Despite its challenges — which reportedly include myths that it is bad luck to plant the tree — shea butter is an excellent natural moisturizing alternative to petroleum-based products. When shopping for shea-based products, like lip balms, consumers can look for sourcing and quality certifications like Fair Trade, Fair for Life, and organic.
Consumers can also choose specifically to support beauty brands that prioritize local sourcing and processing. Clean cosmetics containing responsibly produced shea can help support local farmers while improving skin health and minimizing environmental harms.
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