Support to Sustainable Management of Shea Tree Park Lands in Three Communities in the West Gonja District, Northern Region, Ghana - TCP/GHA/3601
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The shea tree occurs over almost the entire area ofnorthern Ghana – around 77 670 square kilometres – andsupports the livelihood of approximately 900 000 ruralwomen involved in the sector. Over the last few decadeshowever, the density of shea trees in parkland has beendwindling. Drought, bush fire, population pressure,shortened fallows and/or technical changes haveincreased tree mortality and removal and decreased treeregeneration in the parklands. Shea populations are alsothreatened by the African mistletoe, a parasitic plant thatcauses discontinued growth, withering of tree parts andeventual tree death, affecting a large portion of theregional shea population. There is a clear risk that thisresource may decline even further in the coming years.
The process of shea butter production is an importantincome-generating activity for many rural women innorthern Ghana and, for some, represents their onlysource of livelihood. Despite this, the traditionalmethod of collection and processing is an arduous,time-consuming and highly hazardous one. Hazardsinclude scorpions and snakes, in particular beyondcultivated areas. Traditional processing methods utilizelarge quantities of water and firewood, which are scarcenatural resources. In addition, the traditional productionmethod’s extraction rates are low and the product qualityis not standardized. Finally, logistics such as warehousingand transportation infrastructure are inadequate in thearea.