Public Agenda (Accra)
27 October 2009
The Ghana Trade and Livelihoods Coalition (GTLC) recently launched a report in Accra titled, "Unleashing the Shea potential - A baseline data analysis", which paints a promising but neglected picture of the Shea industry.
According to Ibrahim Akalbila of the coalition, government has over the years not paid the needed attention to the industry which has the potential of improving the livelihoods of particularly northern women who engage in the highly labour intensive work of picking and processing the wild nuts.
Meanwhile, the Shea nut has long helped many Ghanaian families. The cholesterol- free fat in the nut is an edible one and has been used in many Ghanaian dishes since time immemorial. It is said to be responsible for why chocolate from many parts of the world, except Ghana, feels soft and melts easily in the mouth.
It is a good protector of the human skin against the harmatan in particular. The cosmetic industry globally has also found a good ingredient in it. As such, its demand on the international market, although not as much as cocoa, is on the increase.
The GTLC, thus, believes the Shea industry could become a major source of foreign exchange earner for Ghana even as it sustains many families. It has therefore proposed that "government's role and interest in the development of the Shea sector should be properly defined. Targets for the research, production and marketing may then be set based on a well defined role."
This is exactly where Public Agenda's concern lies. The paper deems it proper that government sets the agenda for the transformation of the Shea nut industry, from a highly labour intensive but less rewarding business it has been for women to a more viable one.
Like the GTLC has noted, there is the need for a comprehensive policy that will capture all the concerns of the industry towards ensuring the attainment of its full potential.
In line with this, Public Agenda supports the establishment of a separate board for the Shea industry with the needed resources so that those in the industry will also see better results like their counterparts in the cocoa sector.
The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority introduced by government is a laudable initiative. But the objectives set under the authority will be achieved only when special attention is paid to the traditional means of livelihoods of the people in the catchment area. In so doing, the Shea industry is one of the key areas that need such attention.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Public Agenda. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
