Empowering shea nut farmers in northern Ghana: Call to action for sustainable development

As Ghana strives to achieve sustainable development and economic growth, I must prioritise the needs of marginalised communities, particularly women in the shea nut industry.

The northern region, one of the most impoverished areas in Ghana, relies heavily on shea nut farming, with over 600,000 women dependent on it for their livelihood.

However, the shea nut industry in Ghana faces numerous challenges, including exploitation by foreign buyers, lack of access to markets and limited financial resources.

One of the primary challenges faced by women shea nut producers is their inability to compete with wealthy foreign buyers and local middlemen for access to shea nuts.

These producers rely on shea nuts to produce shea butter, which is their primary source of livelihood.

However, due to their limited financial resources, they are often unable to purchase shea nuts at the high prices offered by foreign buyers and middlemen.

Furthermore, the situation is exacerbated by the fact that foreigners are buying shea nut trees, paying for them and then having exclusive access to the nuts when they mature.

This means that local people are denied access to the nuts.

This is unacceptable and highlights the need for regulation in the industry.

In some countries, certain businesses are reserved for indigenous people to ensure that they benefit from their natural resources.

Ghana can learn from these examples and implement similar laws to protect the interests of local people. While it is essential to attract foreign direct investment, it is equally important to protect local jobs and ensure that citizens benefit from their natural resources.

Address

To address these challenges, I urge the President of the Republic of Ghana, parliamentarians and relevant stakeholders to take immediate action to support the shea nut industry. Specifically, I recommend the following:

• Establish a shea nut regulatory board: This board would oversee the industry, ensuring that local producers have access to fair prices for their products.

• Implement a centralised marketing system: The board would serve as a centralised marketing system, purchasing shea nuts directly from local farmers and selling them to buyers, both domestic and foreign.

This would ensure that local farmers receive fair prices for their products and are protected from exploitation.

• Provide financial support and resources: The government and private organisations can provide training, financial support and resources to help local producers improve their yields and competitiveness.

• Encourage public-private partnerships: Collaborations between the government, private sector and civil society organisations can help develop the shea nut industry sustainably and equitably.

Empower

By supporting the shea nut industry, we can empower women, reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in northern Ghana.

The industry has the potential to contribute significantly to Ghana's economic growth and development, particularly in the areas of poverty reduction, employment creation and foreign exchange earnings.

According to a study by the Ghana Shea Industry Association, the shea nut industry has the potential to generate over GH¢1 billion in revenue annually, creating jobs and income opportunities for thousands of women and their families.

In conclusion, I urge the President, parliamentarians and relevant stakeholders to take immediate action to support the shea nut industry.

By doing so, we can ensure that women producers have access to fair prices, markets and resources, enabling them to contribute to Ghana's economic growth and development.

Recommendations

The government must establish a Shea Nut Regulatory Board to oversee the industry and ensure fair prices for local producers.

Private organisations need to provide financial support and resources to local producers to improve their yields and competitiveness, and finally, I recommend that the government and private sector collaborate to develop the shea nut industry sustainably and equitably.

The writer is a sustainability advocate.
E-mail: mmedegli@gmail.com