Beauty Out of Africa

More of the Magic of Black Soap

I received many inquiries about the origins and uses of  of West African Black soap at a soap conference last week, so I am republishing a blog article that ran a few months ago.

Origins

Black Soap, Ose Dudu or Alata Samina is a true West African Soap. Black soap has it's origins among the Yoruba in Nigeria, but receives more widespread use and production among the Ghanians.

Legend has it that the black soap was introduced to Ghana many years ago, by Yoruba traders doing business in Ghana. These traders were women and many were in the business of selling tomatoes and peppers. They were called the Alatas (Pepper Sellers). Samina is an Akan word for soap. The word Alata Samina, coined by Ghanians, means 'The Pepper Traders Soap'.

What is Black Soap

Black soap is a dark colored cleansing bar. It is soft and porous and dissolves faster than most cold press soaps. Black soap produces a very rich lather and gives the skin a clean soft feel. Many users claim that Black soap clears up acne, eczema, blemishes and discolorations. Black soap is 100% natural, Organic and Vegan in origin and process.

Varieties of Black Soap

The color varies from jet black to light brown depending on the ingredients used in making the soap. The basic ingredients used in black soap are Shea Butter, Red Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Roasted Plantain Skins, Roasted Cocoa Pods. Other additives like Agoa bark, scents and other oils are optional. The darker soaps tend to have more of the roasted plantain skin in the ingredients. The oxidation from the plantains make the soap bar darker. For a lighter bar more roasted cocoa pods are used. Black soap does not contain conventional lye, however the ash from roasting the plantain and cocoa pods are the local equivalent of lye that are used in the saponification process.

Who Uses Black Soap?

In spite of it's African origins, black soap is suitable all ethnicities and works especially well for troubled acne prone skin.

Where to Buy it

Black soap is sold in bulk bars that can be cut into smaller bars or you can buy our individually wrapped bath size bars. See our selection of black soaps.  These soaps are available in wholesale quantities for reselling online or at local farmers markets

Some Uses of black soap

1. Cleansing bar for face and body


2. Face mask for acne prone skin


3. Skin Brightening and removal of blemishes


4. Shampoo bar


5. Can be re-batched into a cold press bar

We welcome comments and suggestions on you experience using Black soap.

A case of the Dead Bee in the Honey

The issue of consistent quality in shea butter production was a hot topic at the 2011 Global Shea conference in Accra. For many years large multi-national companies have preferred to purchase shea nuts instead of shea butter from the African producers.

The buyers of nuts claim that the quality of butter produced in Africa is inconsistent and does not meet the quality standards needed to produce cosmetic or food products. As a result, hundreds and thousands of tons of shea nuts are shipped from Africa to Europe and Asia where they are processed and refined for the use in other products.

The sale of shea nuts produces very little economic benefit to the women when compared to the sale of shea butter. Women who are engaged soley in business of selling shea nuts continue in a cycle of poverty. They sell their shea nuts to middle men for a pittance, the middlemen then resell the nuts international buyers.

In order to improve the quality and consistency of shea butter in Africa, companies must be willing to invest in training the shea producers at the grass roots level.

A representative from Benin (I believe) gave a wonderful analogy about the gap in quality perspectives between local producers and the international buyers. He said that in some communities a sign that you are getting authentic, high quality honey is based on the presence of a dead bee in the honey.  Honey producers strive to ensure there is a dead be or two in the honey to convince buyers of the authenticity of their product.

Now if this honey producer follows this train of thought and produces what he considers to be the best honey for an international buyer, he will be sure to lose the business. Dead bees in honey do not have the same seal of authenticity in the international market. Dead bees mean that the quality of the product is inferior.

As Africans who live in the West, we understand this problem all too well. We realize that in order to help the local women who labor to produce shea butter find a consistent market for their product, they need to be trained and sensitized to what the market wants.

This shea season Shea Radiance we will be spending several weeks training and working closely with cooperatives in Niger state. With training support from Thompson Ogunasanmi and the GIZ team  and the provision of locally manufactured technology, we will be teaching women how to add value to their labor by producing the best quality shea butter.

A New Executive Committee for the Global Shea Alliance

More than 120 members of the Global Shea Alliance voted for a new Executive Committee at Shea 2011.

Eugenia Akuete, the CEO of Nasaakle Limited, a Ghanaian shea exporting company, was elected as the GSA's President. Learn about the election process here and read the bios of the Executive Committee page.

Left to right: Santosh Pillai - EC Member; Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi - EC Member; Mamounata Velegda - EC Member;Eugenia Akuete - President; Mamatou Djiré - Vice President; Kadijatou Lah - EC Member; Peter Stedman - Vice President

Eliminating Graininess from Shea Butter Balms

The information provided comes as a result of a number informal experiments we conducted in order to determine the best way to eliminate grains from shea butter. We used only unrefined shea butter in our samples.

We have found that through the use of the methods described in the link below, we have been able to achieve and maintain a smooth textured shea butter in our line of pure shea butter spa products.

The texture of the shea butter is not much of a concern when making emulsions – lotions and creams that involve the use of water, oils and an emulsifier. The shea butter is melted with other oils in the oil phase and graininess is not an issue.

The texture of the shea butter becomes an issue when creating an oil based balm, salve or butter. Having a smooth textured product is important in creating an attractive finished product that will appeal to the customers’ sense of sight and touch.

Click here for step by step instructions on eliminating grains

The Multiplier Effect on the Shea Butter Value Chain

New shea processing facilities are coming online, creating jobs and expanding the market for millions of women who collect shea nuts to sustain their livelihoods. Processing shea in West Africa creates jobs in the region.

A USAID Trade Hub study indicates that every $1,000 increase in sales of shea nuts in rural villages leads to an additional $580 in new household income in Malian communities; this “multiplier effect” is likely similar across the region.

As more jobs and more income are generated, opportunities for value addition increase.

Excerpt taken from:http://www.watradehub.com/activities/tradewinds/feb11/global-shea-alliance-top-agenda-shea-2011-sustainable-solutions

Mobile Technology Improves Womens lives in the Shea Sector

In Ghana, mobile phone-based software applications have improved the lives of 1,500 impoverished rural shea nut pickers. This network of women is organized into 83 groups, with each group’s leader possessing a mobile phone, through which the women can get local market price information via SMS. Once they sell their produce, they also get a view into the global supply chain for shea butter. A Stanford University study found that the new technology has significantly improved the women’s income — anywhere from between 59 percent and 82 percent.

Excerpt taken from: http://blogs.reuters.com/davos/2011/01/26/the-future-of-business-mobile-technology/

A New Year and New Beginnings at Shea Radiance

WIt's a new year and the mark of new things for us at Shea Radiance. We just completed our move to our new office and production facility in Columbia Maryland. We now occupy over 2,000 sq ft of commercial space. I have a feeling we will be outgrowing this space in a short time.

We are introducing several new and exciting products this year. Stay tuned for our line of Hair, Face and Spa products. We have several trips planned for Ghana and Nigeria this year.  We will also be sharing the stories of the women behind our key ingredient, shea butter.

We look forward to serving you this year and we appreciate your business.

Sustainable Shea Butter

The local producers are ultimately the caretakers of the shea trees. They make the management decisions about the future of the tree and the ecological integrity of the landscape.

Fair Trade encourages the women to value the Shea trees that grow in their areas. When they know that the fruits from the tree bring in a good income, they will protect the tree from being cut down and used for firewood.

Sustainable Shea Butter

The local producers are ultimately the caretakers of the shea trees. They make the management decisions about the future of the tree and the ecological integrity of the landscape.

Fair Trade encourages the women to value the Shea trees that grow in their areas. When they know that the fruits from the tree bring in a good income, they will protect the tree from being cut down and used for firewood.

Shea Nut Harvesting and Processing

The key to quality shea butter begins with the processing of the shea
nut. During the harvesting season, the women go into the shea park lands
to pick the newly fallen fruits. Shea
nut is a trading commodity and typically, women dominate the trade.

Making traditional shea butter is labor intensive. Women toil for long
hours collecting and processing the nuts. The nuts are shelled, dried,
stored until they are ready to be processed into shea butter. To maintain the integrity of the nut and the resulting butter, it is recommended
that the fruits are boiled within the first week of collection. This parboiling stops the seed from germinating and reduces rancidity in the final product.

Shea Nut Harvesting and Processing

The key to quality shea butter begins with the processing of the shea
nut. During the harvesting season, the women go into the shea park lands
to pick the newly fallen fruits. Shea
nut is a trading commodity and typically, women dominate the trade.

Making traditional shea butter is labor intensive. Women toil for long
hours collecting and processing the nuts. The nuts are shelled, dried,
stored until they are ready to be processed into shea butter. To maintain the integrity of the nut and the resulting butter, it is recommended
that the fruits are boiled within the first week of collection. This parboiling stops the seed from germinating and reduces rancidity in the final product.

Producing Quality Shea Butter Begins with the Nuts

The key to quality shea butter is the process that begins from the
moment the shea nut is harvested until the shea butter is extracted from
the nut. If the process is compromised, the resulting shea butter will
not meet the quality standards.

The features of good quality Shea butter are

• Low Free Fatty Acids (FFA)


• Low Moisture Content


• Low impurities


• Beige to Yellow color


• No rancid odors

Producing Quality Shea Butter Begins with the Nuts

The key to quality shea butter is the process that begins from the
moment the shea nut is harvested until the shea butter is extracted from
the nut. If the process is compromised, the resulting shea butter will
not meet the quality standards.

The features of good quality Shea butter are

• Low Free Fatty Acids (FFA)


• Low Moisture Content


• Low impurities


• Beige to Yellow color


• No rancid odors

Expanding Global Market for African Shea

USAID/West African Trade Hub had a strong showing of African producers represented at the Cosmetic Scientist Show, held in Edison New Jersey from May 11th to May 12th. This show is aimed at cosmetic chemists and formulators of beauty products of multinational cosmetic firms.

In our quest to expand the global market for shea, it is important to show skincare manufacturers the potential of shea butter and how it can be of benefit to the end user. Many of us believe that shea butter is a viable replacement for petroleum based emollients that are currently used by some cosmetic manufacturers.

Expanding Global Market for African Shea

USAID/West African Trade Hub had a strong showing of African producers represented at the Cosmetic Scientist Show, held in Edison New Jersey from May 11th to May 12th. This show is aimed at cosmetic chemists and formulators of beauty products of multinational cosmetic firms.

In our quest to expand the global market for shea, it is important to show skincare manufacturers the potential of shea butter and how it can be of benefit to the end user. Many of us believe that shea butter is a viable replacement for petroleum based emollients that are currently used by some cosmetic manufacturers.

Scientific Findings on Unrefined Shea Butter

Shea butter has been used for centuries (perhaps millennia) as a skin treatment in Africa, particularly for newborn infants. Although the clinical data often referred to by the cosmetic companies that market shea butter are hard to locate, recent scientific studies support its alleged therapeutic value in treatment of certain skin disorders.

The bioactive substances in shea butter reside in the unsaponifiable fraction – the oil-soluble constituents that would not react with alkali to form soap – which is a by-product of the CBE/CBI production process. They include anti-oxidants such as tocopherols (vitamin E) and catechins (also found in green tea).

Alander and Andersson (2002) and Alander (2004) identified other specific compounds such as triterpene alcohols, known to reduce inflammation; cinnamic acid esters, which have limited capacity to absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation; and lupeol, which prevents the effects of skin aging by inhibiting enzymes that degrade skin proteins. Shea butter also protects skin by stimulating production of structural proteins by specialized skin cells.

Excerpt taken from Reinforcing sound management through trade: shea tree products in Africa
E.T. Masters, J.A. Yidana and P.N. Lovett

Scientific Findings on Unrefined Shea Butter

Shea butter has been used for centuries (perhaps millennia) as a skin treatment in Africa, particularly for newborn infants. Although the clinical data often referred to by the cosmetic companies that market shea butter are hard to locate, recent scientific studies support its alleged therapeutic value in treatment of certain skin disorders.

The bioactive substances in shea butter reside in the unsaponifiable fraction – the oil-soluble constituents that would not react with alkali to form soap – which is a by-product of the CBE/CBI production process. They include anti-oxidants such as tocopherols (vitamin E) and catechins (also found in green tea).

Alander and Andersson (2002) and Alander (2004) identified other specific compounds such as triterpene alcohols, known to reduce inflammation; cinnamic acid esters, which have limited capacity to absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation; and lupeol, which prevents the effects of skin aging by inhibiting enzymes that degrade skin proteins. Shea butter also protects skin by stimulating production of structural proteins by specialized skin cells.

Excerpt taken from Reinforcing sound management through trade: shea tree products in Africa
E.T. Masters, J.A. Yidana and P.N. Lovett

Local Technologies Boost Shea Butter Production

The Diola shea butter processing facility is located 2.5 hours outside of Bamako, Mali. This is by far the most mechanized shea production center that I have visited so far. Most of the equipment was brought in from neighboring Burkina Faso and modified for the use of the cooperative. Using appropriate technology can reduce some of the back breaking work involved in the production of shea butter. The most successful technologies in rural production should be easy to use and not require large amounts of electricity, water or fuel to function.
[gallery]

Local Technologies Boost Shea Butter Production

The Diola shea butter processing facility is located 2.5 hours outside of Bamako, Mali. This is by far the most mechanized shea production center that I have visited so far. Most of the equipment was brought in from neighboring Burkina Faso and modified for the use of the cooperative. Using appropriate technology can reduce some of the back breaking work involved in the production of shea butter. The most successful technologies in rural production should be easy to use and not require large amounts of electricity, water or fuel to function.
[gallery]

Shea Butter in Confections – Making African Shea more visible in end products

In Africa, Shea butter has been used for centuries for cooking and sauteeing local foods. One of the goals of the Africa Shea Alliance is to increase the visibility of shea butter in the international food industry.

Shea butter is used as an edible in ingredient in Europe and Asia for ice cream, chocolates, pastries and other confections. Unfortunately the presence and use of shea butter in these products is not always obvious to the end user. Having the Africa Shea logo on finished products conaining shea butter will bring consumer awareness to the product and establish this uniquely African oil as a staple in the food and cosmetic industry.

[caption id="attachment_626" align="alignleft" width="110" caption="Sheanuts, a vital ingredient"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_627" align="alignleft" width="123" caption="European chocolates with shea butter "][/caption]

Shea Butter in Confections – Making African Shea more visible in end products

In Africa, Shea butter has been used for centuries for cooking and sauteeing local foods. One of the goals of the Africa Shea Alliance is to increase the visibility of shea butter in the international food industry.

Shea butter is used as an edible in ingredient in Europe and Asia for ice cream, chocolates, pastries and other confections. Unfortunately the presence and use of shea butter in these products is not always obvious to the end user. Having the Africa Shea logo on finished products conaining shea butter will bring consumer awareness to the product and establish this uniquely African oil as a staple in the food and cosmetic industry.

[caption id="attachment_626" align="alignleft" width="110" caption="Sheanuts, a vital ingredient"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_627" align="alignleft" width="123" caption="European chocolates with shea butter "][/caption]

Branding of African Shea

One of the main focal points of Global Shea 2010 in Bamako, Mali was to discuss the branding of Africa Shea and to form an alliance of the Shea butter stakeholders to better promote this brand.
The use and source of shea butter is very well known in the cosmetic industry. The average customer in Europe and the US has heard of Shea Butter and knows it comes from Africa, thanks to the success of large companies like The Body Shop and L'Occitine. According to Dr Peter Lovett, Technical expert for USAID/WATH, the use of shea butter in the cosmetic industry is only about 5% of the total amount of shea produced in Africa.

[caption id="attachment_616" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Shea Butter Product by L\'occitaine"][/caption]

Approximately 90% of the shea nuts produced are shipped to Asia, Europe and the US for use in the food industry.
One of the goals of branding African Shea is to use the Africa Shea logo wherever Shea is used. This means that a chocolate bar that has Shea Butter used as a Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE) will bear that logo. The goal is to bring more visibility to the use and sources of Shea butter anywhere it is used.

Branding of African Shea

One of the main focal points of Global Shea 2010 in Bamako, Mali was to discuss the branding of Africa Shea and to form an alliance of the Shea butter stakeholders to better promote this brand.
The use and source of shea butter is very well known in the cosmetic industry. The average customer in Europe and the US has heard of Shea Butter and knows it comes from Africa, thanks to the success of large companies like The Body Shop and L'Occitine. According to Dr Peter Lovett, Technical expert for USAID/WATH, the use of shea butter in the cosmetic industry is only about 5% of the total amount of shea produced in Africa.

[caption id="attachment_616" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="Shea Butter Product by L\'occitaine"][/caption]

Approximately 90% of the shea nuts produced are shipped to Asia, Europe and the US for use in the food industry.
One of the goals of branding African Shea is to use the Africa Shea logo wherever Shea is used. This means that a chocolate bar that has Shea Butter used as a Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE) will bear that logo. The goal is to bring more visibility to the use and sources of Shea butter anywhere it is used.

Focus on Mali – Shea Butter Cooperative in Djiola Targets Regional Markets

We visited a shea production center in Djiola, 2.5 hours outside of Bamako. Madam Fatima Jallo head of the Union of Local Shea Producers gave us a brief history of the Union and it's accomplishments. Formed in in September of 2001, the Union was originally started on a village level and then progressed into a union of 45 locall cooperatives of 1,673 women.

The cooperatives bring processed shea butter to the Union center where further filtering and packaging is done to produce a premium grade of shea butter for the local market.

They have future goals of targeting the international market, but right now they are meeting the local demand within Mali and the neighboring countries for quality shea and soap bars to be used for personal care.

[caption id="attachment_609" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Madam Fatima displays finished soap bar"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_605" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Soap Bars Ready for Sale"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_606" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Shea Butter Packaged in 1kg tubs for local use"][/caption]

Focus on Mali – Shea Butter Cooperative in Djiola Targets Regional Markets

We visited a shea production center in Djiola, 2.5 hours outside of Bamako. Madam Fatima Jallo head of the Union of Local Shea Producers gave us a brief history of the Union and it's accomplishments. Formed in in September of 2001, the Union was originally started on a village level and then progressed into a union of 45 locall cooperatives of 1,673 women.

The cooperatives bring processed shea butter to the Union center where further filtering and packaging is done to produce a premium grade of shea butter for the local market.

They have future goals of targeting the international market, but right now they are meeting the local demand within Mali and the neighboring countries for quality shea and soap bars to be used for personal care.

[caption id="attachment_609" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Madam Fatima displays finished soap bar"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_605" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Soap Bars Ready for Sale"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_606" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Shea Butter Packaged in 1kg tubs for local use"][/caption]

Rural women process and sell shea butter / Radio Scripts / Farm Radio International

Excerpt taken from:
Rural women process and sell shea butter / Radio Scripts / Farm Radio International.

The shea tree is a West African plant frequently found in villages and surrounding areas. The tree produces shea nuts towards the beginning of the rainy season. If the rainy season is generous, the trees produce many nuts. The tree's wood burns very easily, and rural populations cut great numbers of shea trees to make charcoal.

Thanks to efforts by the agents of the Forest and Waters Departments and of village associations fighting against desertification, shea trees continue to exist.

Rural women - who are the people most affected by poverty - lead the efforts to process shea nuts into shea butter. When women sell shea butter in the marketplace, the income allows them to support their families. As detailed in the script, these women would greatly benefit if they had machinery such as a mill because it would help them transform the shea nut into a softer paste. Machinery would also help make the processing quicker and less tiring than processing by hand.

Rural women process and sell shea butter / Radio Scripts / Farm Radio International

Excerpt taken from:
Rural women process and sell shea butter / Radio Scripts / Farm Radio International.

The shea tree is a West African plant frequently found in villages and surrounding areas. The tree produces shea nuts towards the beginning of the rainy season. If the rainy season is generous, the trees produce many nuts. The tree's wood burns very easily, and rural populations cut great numbers of shea trees to make charcoal.

Thanks to efforts by the agents of the Forest and Waters Departments and of village associations fighting against desertification, shea trees continue to exist.

Rural women - who are the people most affected by poverty - lead the efforts to process shea nuts into shea butter. When women sell shea butter in the marketplace, the income allows them to support their families. As detailed in the script, these women would greatly benefit if they had machinery such as a mill because it would help them transform the shea nut into a softer paste. Machinery would also help make the processing quicker and less tiring than processing by hand.

Burkina Faso ’s shea butter producers go online — International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD)

Excerpt taken from:Burkina Faso’s shea butter producers go online — International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD).

The Song-Taaba Yalgré organisation represents the interests of Burkina Faso’s shea butter producers, most of whom are rural women, by helping them to improve production and boost sales. Song-Taaba Yalgré itself is based in Ouagadougou, but most of its 2,000 members live in remote areas so communication is difficult, time-consuming and costly. The organisation therefore developed an ICT project to address this problem, with promising results.

Burkina Faso ’s shea butter producers go online — International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD)

Excerpt taken from:Burkina Faso’s shea butter producers go online — International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD).

The Song-Taaba Yalgré organisation represents the interests of Burkina Faso’s shea butter producers, most of whom are rural women, by helping them to improve production and boost sales. Song-Taaba Yalgré itself is based in Ouagadougou, but most of its 2,000 members live in remote areas so communication is difficult, time-consuming and costly. The organisation therefore developed an ICT project to address this problem, with promising results.

DEVELOPMENT-GHANA: Women Ideal Shea Butter Producers – IPS ipsnews.net

Excerpt taken from :DEVELOPMENT-GHANA: Women Ideal Shea Butter Producers - IPS ipsnews.net.

SAGNARIGU, Jun 11, 2008 (IPS) - "Wherever I went, they laughed at me and called me 'Habiba the empty mouth.' I was always embarrassed," says 45-year-old Habiba Alhassan. "I could not afford to smile; I could not open my mouth in public, when I took photographs I had to close my mouth so that I wouldn't look ugly."

With all her front teeth missing, Alhassan was an object of mockery in her village, Sagnarigu, in the northern region of Ghana. Too poor to afford artificial teeth, she seemed destined to live with the embarrassment for life. "My petty trade in cocoa drinks was hardly enough to feed me let alone replace my lost teeth," she said.

But all that changed early last year, when she joined a rural women's cooperative producing soap from shea butter. In less than six months, she was able to save more than $300 from her earnings to replace the missing teeth. "Nobody believed me when I said I was determined to replace the missing teeth, now I have done it," Habiba said proudly.

The cooperative, known as the Ideal Woman Shea Butter Producers and Pickers Association is the product of a poverty eradication initiative for rural women in Northern Ghana. The initiative is backed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Japanese government under the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). TICAD is a global framework for collaboration between Asia and Africa to promote economic development in Africa.

DEVELOPMENT-GHANA: Women Ideal Shea Butter Producers – IPS ipsnews.net

Excerpt taken from :DEVELOPMENT-GHANA: Women Ideal Shea Butter Producers - IPS ipsnews.net.

SAGNARIGU, Jun 11, 2008 (IPS) - "Wherever I went, they laughed at me and called me 'Habiba the empty mouth.' I was always embarrassed," says 45-year-old Habiba Alhassan. "I could not afford to smile; I could not open my mouth in public, when I took photographs I had to close my mouth so that I wouldn't look ugly."

With all her front teeth missing, Alhassan was an object of mockery in her village, Sagnarigu, in the northern region of Ghana. Too poor to afford artificial teeth, she seemed destined to live with the embarrassment for life. "My petty trade in cocoa drinks was hardly enough to feed me let alone replace my lost teeth," she said.

But all that changed early last year, when she joined a rural women's cooperative producing soap from shea butter. In less than six months, she was able to save more than $300 from her earnings to replace the missing teeth. "Nobody believed me when I said I was determined to replace the missing teeth, now I have done it," Habiba said proudly.

The cooperative, known as the Ideal Woman Shea Butter Producers and Pickers Association is the product of a poverty eradication initiative for rural women in Northern Ghana. The initiative is backed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Japanese government under the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). TICAD is a global framework for collaboration between Asia and Africa to promote economic development in Africa.

Nigeria finally gets serious about Shea Butter trade

Post taken from West African Trade Hub
West Africa Trade Hub - Conference connects the industry - and business does the rest.

On a recent sunny afternoon in Minna, Nigeria, Thompson Ogunsanmi had a list of new developments in the area’s shea sector to share. It was a long list.

Activity in the shea business has increased rapidly in the last year thanks at least partly to last year's industry conference and the concentrated efforts of shea stakeholders in Nigeria. With “Global Shea 2010: Maximizing Quality, Expanding Markets” set for March 16-19 in Bamako, Mali, many are expecting it to increase even more.

Sign up now for Global Shea 2010!

“Shea 2009 allowed Nigerians to see what was happening in Ghana and Burkina Faso and elsewhere,” said Ogunsanmi, who supports Niger State shea stakeholders through the German Development Cooperation, GTZ, and its Employment-oriented Private Sector Development Programme. “And they saw that there was some real potential in shea. When we got back from the conference, things really began to happen.”

“It was an eye-opener for us,” said Ahmed Kontagora, director general of the Niger State Commodities and Export Promotion Agency. “We are going to Mali for Global Shea 2010 in a big way so we can ensure we have gotten a market.”

Nigeria finally gets serious about Shea Butter trade

Post taken from West African Trade Hub
West Africa Trade Hub - Conference connects the industry - and business does the rest.

On a recent sunny afternoon in Minna, Nigeria, Thompson Ogunsanmi had a list of new developments in the area’s shea sector to share. It was a long list.

Activity in the shea business has increased rapidly in the last year thanks at least partly to last year's industry conference and the concentrated efforts of shea stakeholders in Nigeria. With “Global Shea 2010: Maximizing Quality, Expanding Markets” set for March 16-19 in Bamako, Mali, many are expecting it to increase even more.

Sign up now for Global Shea 2010!

“Shea 2009 allowed Nigerians to see what was happening in Ghana and Burkina Faso and elsewhere,” said Ogunsanmi, who supports Niger State shea stakeholders through the German Development Cooperation, GTZ, and its Employment-oriented Private Sector Development Programme. “And they saw that there was some real potential in shea. When we got back from the conference, things really began to happen.”

“It was an eye-opener for us,” said Ahmed Kontagora, director general of the Niger State Commodities and Export Promotion Agency. “We are going to Mali for Global Shea 2010 in a big way so we can ensure we have gotten a market.”

Global Shea 2010 – Bamako, Mali

Global Shea 2010 will focus on the key issues affecting shea, from the nut to the butter, the producer to the retailer.
Issues to be discussed include: Women’s Shea Butter Associations, Processors, Traders, Financial Institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations, Government, Civil Society, Exporters, Transporters, Logistics Providers, International Buyers and more.

For more information on the event please contact Global Shea

Global Shea 2010 – Bamako, Mali

Global Shea 2010 will focus on the key issues affecting shea, from the nut to the butter, the producer to the retailer.
Issues to be discussed include: Women’s Shea Butter Associations, Processors, Traders, Financial Institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations, Government, Civil Society, Exporters, Transporters, Logistics Providers, International Buyers and more.

For more information on the event please contact Global Shea

Can shea nuts help the women of Mali – Africa News blog | Analysis & Opinion | Reuters

Excerpt from Africa News blog | Analysis & Opinion | Reuters.

How can African countries earn more from their raw materials. And how can the women of Mali improve their ability to trade with buyers in the West?

Korotouma Doumbia, a 29-year-old from south-west Mali, has no education or formal skills but she manages to earn the family income. She harvests shea nuts and turns them into shea butter, a popular ingredient in many western cosmetics.

The shea tree grows wild in nearly 20 countries in Africa and Mali has more shea trees than any of its neighbours. They are often cultivated for their oil and Korotouma’s village has some planted trees, but they also harvest the wild trees further from the village.

The women collect as much as they can carry. But about two thirds of Mali’s shea harvest stays on the ground. The trees are spread out and the women have no other means of transporting their harvest than carrying it on their heads.

One organisation that has tried to help Mali’s women earn more from their shea butter is the Development Trust Association or ACOD, a non-governmental group based in Bamako.

They buy Shea butter from farmers at a minimum price and then either resell it internationally or use it to make cosmetic products.

Elisee Sidibe, the group’s Permanent Secretary, says shea butter is an excellent way to fight poverty in rural Mali. “So if the government and its partners support the shea industry and help position it on the international market, then we could dramatically reduce poverty among women in rural areas.”

But the problem is that most women aren’t producing high-grade shea butter that can be sold internationally. They can sell their produce to the local market, but they get much less money for it than they could expect if they had access to better means of processing the butter.

The money they earn in the market is small compared to the profits made by big international cosmetics companies that use African shea butter in their creams and lotions.

Local experts believe that with more investment, the shea butter industry in Mali has huge potential for growth. This would impact not just the lives of women in rural areas, but also the country’s overall economy.

Can shea nuts help the women of Mali – Africa News blog | Analysis & Opinion | Reuters

Excerpt from Africa News blog | Analysis & Opinion | Reuters.

How can African countries earn more from their raw materials. And how can the women of Mali improve their ability to trade with buyers in the West?

Korotouma Doumbia, a 29-year-old from south-west Mali, has no education or formal skills but she manages to earn the family income. She harvests shea nuts and turns them into shea butter, a popular ingredient in many western cosmetics.

The shea tree grows wild in nearly 20 countries in Africa and Mali has more shea trees than any of its neighbours. They are often cultivated for their oil and Korotouma’s village has some planted trees, but they also harvest the wild trees further from the village.

The women collect as much as they can carry. But about two thirds of Mali’s shea harvest stays on the ground. The trees are spread out and the women have no other means of transporting their harvest than carrying it on their heads.

One organisation that has tried to help Mali’s women earn more from their shea butter is the Development Trust Association or ACOD, a non-governmental group based in Bamako.

They buy Shea butter from farmers at a minimum price and then either resell it internationally or use it to make cosmetic products.

Elisee Sidibe, the group’s Permanent Secretary, says shea butter is an excellent way to fight poverty in rural Mali. “So if the government and its partners support the shea industry and help position it on the international market, then we could dramatically reduce poverty among women in rural areas.”

But the problem is that most women aren’t producing high-grade shea butter that can be sold internationally. They can sell their produce to the local market, but they get much less money for it than they could expect if they had access to better means of processing the butter.

The money they earn in the market is small compared to the profits made by big international cosmetics companies that use African shea butter in their creams and lotions.

Local experts believe that with more investment, the shea butter industry in Mali has huge potential for growth. This would impact not just the lives of women in rural areas, but also the country’s overall economy.

Strategic Partnerships for Sustainable Shea Butter Production

Shea Radiance and it's parent company, AgroBotanicals USA, have been nurturing an ongoing relationship with Saleton Nigeria Limited.

Common Values
Shared values and vision of the potential of shea butter market in Africa and abroad and a commitment to quality and integrity has drawn these two business together in partnership to realize the following goals:
1. Produce shea butter that meets Quality, Quantity and On Time delivery standards
2. Adding value to shea products by operating production centers within the local communities
3. Commitment to Fair Trade practices that will add value to the lives of local women producers
4. Shea Butter as a means of eradicating poverty in the lives of rural women

A strategic partnership between AgroBotanicals, the overseas marketing and logisitical coordination and and Saleton, the production company providing hands on training and coordinating production activities of local womens cooperatives in Nigeria.

This partnership was made possible through the efforts of the West African Trade Hub. Several visits and training opportunities sponsored by the hub in Nigeria have made it possible for these to companies to leverage their strengths and bring quality shea butter to the international market.

Strategic Partnerships for Sustainable Shea Butter Production

Shea Radiance and it's parent company, AgroBotanicals USA, have been nurturing an ongoing relationship with Saleton Nigeria Limited.

Common Values
Shared values and vision of the potential of shea butter market in Africa and abroad and a commitment to quality and integrity has drawn these two business together in partnership to realize the following goals:
1. Produce shea butter that meets Quality, Quantity and On Time delivery standards
2. Adding value to shea products by operating production centers within the local communities
3. Commitment to Fair Trade practices that will add value to the lives of local women producers
4. Shea Butter as a means of eradicating poverty in the lives of rural women

A strategic partnership between AgroBotanicals, the overseas marketing and logisitical coordination and and Saleton, the production company providing hands on training and coordinating production activities of local womens cooperatives in Nigeria.

This partnership was made possible through the efforts of the West African Trade Hub. Several visits and training opportunities sponsored by the hub in Nigeria have made it possible for these to companies to leverage their strengths and bring quality shea butter to the international market.

West African Shea Butter Promoted at Suppliers Day in California

The Society of Cosmetic Chemists California Chapter Suppliers' Day 2009 is a bi-annual West Coast Show. The 2-day event from October 22-23, 2009 is a networking platform for meeting with over 1,000 of the most innovative R&D Chemists, formulators, entrepreneurs, executives, manufacturers, retailers and distributors covering the western United States.

Shea Radiance-AgroBotanicals attended this event with USAID/West African Trade Hub to:

* Promote West African shea butter at an important cosmetic ingredient show that is well attended by importer/distributors (as exhibitors) and buyers (cosmetic formulators, manufacturers) from across the globe.
* Discuss issues and problems facing the shea butter industry and how those issues might be best addressed.

West African Shea Butter Promoted at Suppliers Day in California

The Society of Cosmetic Chemists California Chapter Suppliers' Day 2009 is a bi-annual West Coast Show. The 2-day event from October 22-23, 2009 is a networking platform for meeting with over 1,000 of the most innovative R&D Chemists, formulators, entrepreneurs, executives, manufacturers, retailers and distributors covering the western United States.

Shea Radiance-AgroBotanicals attended this event with USAID/West African Trade Hub to:

* Promote West African shea butter at an important cosmetic ingredient show that is well attended by importer/distributors (as exhibitors) and buyers (cosmetic formulators, manufacturers) from across the globe.
* Discuss issues and problems facing the shea butter industry and how those issues might be best addressed.

Adding Value to Shea Butter

One of the most straightforward means of adding value to any commodity is the processing of raw material into higher-value end-products – in this case the extraction of shea butter from shea nuts. Companies like Agrobotanicals (Nigeria), Sekaf (Ghana) and Agbanga Karite (Togo)  have made a commitment to add value to local communities by doing a large part of the shea butter production in the local community before shipping abroad.

Adding Value to Shea Butter

One of the most straightforward means of adding value to any commodity is the processing of raw material into higher-value end-products – in this case the extraction of shea butter from shea nuts. Companies like Agrobotanicals (Nigeria), Sekaf (Ghana) and Agbanga Karite (Togo)  have made a commitment to add value to local communities by doing a large part of the shea butter production in the local community before shipping abroad.

Sustainability and Fair Trade

Promoting Fair Trade that benefits the local producers, is the key to keeping the shea butter business sustainable. The local producers are ultimately the caretakers of the shea trees.  They make the management decisions about the future of the tree and the ecological integrity of the landscape.

Fair Trade encourages the women to value the Shea trees that grow in their areas. When they know that the fruits from the tree bring in a good income, they will protect the tree from being cut down and used for firewood.

Sustainability and Fair Trade

Promoting Fair Trade that benefits the local producers, is the key to keeping the shea butter business sustainable. The local producers are ultimately the caretakers of the shea trees.  They make the management decisions about the future of the tree and the ecological integrity of the landscape.

Fair Trade encourages the women to value the Shea trees that grow in their areas. When they know that the fruits from the tree bring in a good income, they will protect the tree from being cut down and used for firewood.

Shea Nuts to Shea Butter – The Final Product

The final product of the extraction process is a beautiful, smooth, ivory to light yellow shea butter with it's characteristic nutty scent. The wisdom and skill of these African women to extract this rich nourishing butter from a brown shea nut never ceases to amaze me.

The process for quality shea butter begins with the harvesting. The end result will be shea butter with the following characteristics

• Low FFA (Free Fatty Acids)


• Low Moisture Content


• Low impurities

Shea Nuts to Shea Butter – The Final Product

The final product of the extraction process is a beautiful, smooth, ivory to light yellow shea butter with it's characteristic nutty scent. The wisdom and skill of these African women to extract this rich nourishing butter from a brown shea nut never ceases to amaze me.

The process for quality shea butter begins with the harvesting. The end result will be shea butter with the following characteristics

• Low FFA (Free Fatty Acids)


• Low Moisture Content


• Low impurities

Shea Nut to Shea Butter – Cooking and Filtering

The kneading and washing process causes the Shea butter emulsion to float to the top of the basin. The next step is to skim the butter emulsion into an aluminum pot and cook over a fire. This process causes the water to evaporate and separates the chaff from the butter. The liquid butter is then filtered to remove any small particles or debris to obtain good quality butter

Shea Nut to Shea Butter – Cooking and Filtering

The kneading and washing process causes the Shea butter emulsion to float to the top of the basin. The next step is to skim the butter emulsion into an aluminum pot and cook over a fire. This process causes the water to evaporate and separates the chaff from the butter. The liquid butter is then filtered to remove any small particles or debris to obtain good quality butter

Shea Nuts to Shea Butter – Kneading

The kneading process is the actual extraction phase. All the preliminary activities of boiling, shelling, drying, crushing, roasting and milling serve to make extraction process more productive. Kneading is a manual process that is done in a deep basin.  The paste is mixed with water to make it easy to knead.  The women knead this brown paste with their hands and continue to add water until a white butter rises to the surface.  In one Shea producing area, I observed women kneading with their feet, in a manner similar to stomping grapes in the Mediterranean.

Hand churning is the preferred method in this process.