Ghanaian Shea Butter

Trade Right International has helped establish three cooperatives and is now networking with two others across northern Ghana. 

One of the cooperatives has organic status.

Together the five cooperatives have a membership of approaching 3,200 women and can produce a combined total of 20tonnes a month, of unrefined shea butter.

Working in groups the women collect the shea fruits from the trees or the ground, then take them back to their villages where the fruit is peeled, the outer shell removed and then the inner shea nut is removed and set out to dry in the sun.
They then crush the nuts, and add boiling water, the oil from the shea nut seperates from the water and is skimmed off, this is the shea butter which is then stirred continuously until it’s cold.  It gets poured into 25kg boxes lined with plastic and then it’s ready to be shipped.
There’s no waste – the fruit pulp is used in stews and as animal feed, the cracked outer shells are used to help  drainage around crops and plants, the residue from the nut/water combination (called ‘cake’) is left to dry and cut into bricks for fires or used as a waterproof paint on their homes.

 In the UK our Ghanaian shea butter is used in the Carishea products as well as in Contract Manufacturing.  It is also available for sale to trade customers.