Shea value chain as key pro-poor carbon-fixing engine in West Africa

As part of its Sustainability Program, the Global Shea Alliance (GSA), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO Regional Office for Africa), conducted this multi-impact appraisal of the shea value chain in 8 West African countries that account for 99% of shea exports. The study uses the EX-ACT Value Chain tool (EX-ACT VC), developed in 2016 by the FAO, to assess the value chain’s contribution to climate mitigation, climate resilience, and socio-economic impact. At present, the shea value chain fixes 1.5 million tons of CO2 every year. Relative to production volumes, every ton of shea kernels produced has a negative carbon footprint of 1.04 tons of CO2. With an expansion strategy supported by donors and private partners to increase shea tree population in agroforestry areas by 7 million additional trees per year, the CO2 fixed could increase up to 9 million tons of CO2e per year, leading to an aggregated carbon fixing impact of 180 million tons of CO2e over 20 years. Through shea parklands expansion and improvement of collector productivity, the gross income per woman collector could increase to US$ 167/ year, while the value added per day of work will reach US$ 2.30. The global value chain will reach a gross production value of about US$ 593 million, representing 6% growth per year between 2019 and 2032 and a value added of US$ 452 million by 2032.