Shea butter community commerce

"With over 1,600 beneficiaries in one year, the project increased the production of quality butter by 35%, and incomes increased by about 45%," stated Eric Banye, Project Manager.

Since April 2014, SNV implemented the shea butter community commerce project in Northern Ghana in partnership with the Savannah Fruits Company. Following the successful implementation of phase I during the 2014/2015 shea season, the project extended to phase II for the 2015/2016 season to include more cooperatives in the Upper West Region and deepen the impact on existing groups. The project was subsequently granted a third phase (2016/2017) and a fourth phase (2018/2019).

The project gained significant recognition in the region, with many women and cooperatives eager to join the programme participants network to improve their livelihoods.

Economic impact and revenue growth

The number of direct programme participants exceeded 1,800 women. Cumulatively, approximately 3,768 tons of butter, comprising 3,240 tons of conventional and 528 tons of organic butter, were produced and sold to primary partners and itinerant buyers. The women received a gross revenue of $6,782,400 from these sales.

Cash revenue saw significant improvement over the period. At the individual level, average annual revenue increased from $148 to $590 per woman, a gain of over 300%. A unique feature of this sustainable trade relationship was the payment of a $0.20 premium for every kilo of butter supplied. The women utilised these premiums to upgrade their livelihoods and develop their processing centres.

Technical efficiency and environmental gains

The project introduced innovations that transformed the drudgery of traditional processing into a more efficient, profitable system. Major impacts included:

• Extraction efficiency: Previously, 28kg of butter was extracted from every 85kg of nuts. With the project's intervention, women increased extraction to 35% from the same quantity of nuts.

• Productivity increase: Individual production rose from 125kg to 580kg per year, with annual earnings increasing from $184 to approximately $1,360.

• Fuelwood reduction: The introduction of improved cookstoves reduced the firewood required to process one ton of butter from 540kg to just 18kg.

• Time savings: The time required to process an 85kg bag of nuts was reduced from an average of 22 hours to just 8 hours, freeing women’s time for domestic responsibilities and other activities.

  
  

Social development and community well-being

The benefits of the project extended beyond the cooperatives into the households and wider communities:

• Education: While only 37% of beneficiaries' children were originally enrolled in school, the project recorded a current enrolment rate of 97%.

• Health: National Health Insurance Scheme registration rose from 48% to 99% of beneficiaries, funded largely through the project's trade premiums.

• Empowerment: The provision of equipment reduced production costs and physical labour, while the cooperatives became more active and inclusive.

Under this partnership, SNV continued to deepen management capacity, introduce innovative processing techniques, and increase health and safety measures. The project ensured the sustainability of shea resources and improved community access to potable water, significantly contributing to sustainable poverty reduction and women's empowerment in Northern Ghana.

The Sundial Community Commence Project has gained so much recognition among women involved in shea activities and has significantly contributed to sustainable poverty reduction and women empowerment in Northern Ghana.