Global Shea Alliance: New Study Demonstrates Economic Impact of Shea Export Growth

www.globalshea.com

New Study Demonstrates Economic Impact of Shea Export Growth

Accra, Ghana – Global Shea Alliance and USAID recently commissioned an independent study by LMC International, a global agribusiness consulting firm, to evaluate the growth of the shea industry and its economic impact on producing communities
over the past 20 years. LMC developed the
methodologies and aggregated the data
to produce the conclusions outlined in
the study.

The study found shea exports has increased from 50,000 MT to more than 300,000 MT annually over the last 20 years. The growth is due to increased utilization of shea in global food and cosmetic markets.

The increased exports are delivering 200 million USD in direct and indirectv income for shea producing communities.

Global Shea Alliance (GSA) President, Badiè Marico said, “Historically, shea has been widely used for cooking oil and cosmetics in Africa. Because of
the GSA and its members, sheav is now being consumed in markets around the world, and in turn improving the livelihoods of women in our communities.”

The  study also found that approximately 4 million women are now working to collect and process for
shea exports in Africa.

USAID/West Africa Mission Director, Alex Deprez said, “We know well the benefits of increased trade
for rural communities across Africa. The GSA is pioneering efforts to grow markets and improve the livelihoods of rural women and their families that
stand at the base of the shea value chain. We are proud to partner in their activities.”

About the GSA

The GSA is a non-profit industry association with 450 members from 33 countries including women’s groups, brands and retailers, suppliers,
and NGOs. Through public-private partnerships, the GSA promotes industry sustainability, quality practices and standards, and demand for shea
in food and cosmetics.

For more information please visit http://www.globalshea.com/

The USAID/West Africa regional mission’s goal is to promote social and economic well-being advanced by West Africans. Spanning 21 countries, USAID/West Africa designs and implements programs with West African partners to strengthen systems of non-violent conflict management, support economic growth, and expand quality health services.

The American people, through USAID, provide economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information please visit http://www.usaid.gov/west-africa-regional.

LMC INTERNATIONAL is a leading independent economic and business consulting company that focuses on the agribusiness sector around
the world. From crops and agricultural commodities to agro-industrial products and downstream end-uses, we provide global business
intelligence and market analysis on metrics such as production and consumption, supply and demand, price forecasting, trade and policy, and
costs of production.

For more information please visit https://www.lmc.co.uk/

SOURCE:
Global Shea Alliance Secretariat
PMB 35A Osu, Accra, Ghana
info@globalshea.com
Phone: +233 244 334 586
Fax: +233 302 782 231
facebook.com/GlobalSheaAlliance