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Environmental Sustainability of Shea Butter
Shea butter is one of the world's most sustainable natural
resources. The shea trees grow naturally in the grasslands of west and central
Africa and do not need irrigation, fertilizer, or pesticides. The shea trees are
native to the savanna and are difficult to grow in plantations. It takes at
least 25 years for a shea tree to produce large numbers of fruits.
Empowerment of Women and Children
Most shea butter on the market in the U.S. and Europe is not
fairly traded. The African women who gather the shea nuts and handcraft it into
a magnificent butter receive only a tiny fraction of the final price. However,
buying unrefined shea butter directly from the African villages and through
women cooperatives contributes to the empowerment of both women and children and
provides funds to enhance their communities.
Women who collect and process the nuts typically have little
formal education and are therefore, excluded from formal employment. By
providing a means for them to use their extensive knowledge and skills in the
indigenous production of shea butter, the women gain a sense of value and
recognition within their communities, as well as a steady and fair income. This
opportunity also helps reduces the gender income inequality.
Current projects are focusing on education and empowerment of young Africans through the purchase of
books, uniforms, desks, supplies, and tuition. Some villages are using the money for community enhancement projects
AIDS and malaria outreach, and educational scholarships. In the village of Zaare in
Ghana, the sale of the shea butter is helping women obtain loans and grants,
develop night school programs, and enhance health and hygiene. Additionally, the
village has been able to build a health clinic, village schools, and clean water
facilities using shea butter income.
Uses of Shea Butter
Unrefined shea butter contains an abundance of healing
ingredients including vitamins, minerals, proteins. It is a superior active
moisturizer and restores the skin's natural elasticity. Shea butter enables skin
to absorb moisture from the air, and as a result, the skin becomes softer and
stays moisturized for longer. In addition, shea butter has natural sunscreen
properties and anti-inflammatory agents. Because of its amazing properties, shea
butter is an excellent ingredient for soaps, lotions and creams. Shea butter has
also been shown to help with skin conditions such as extreme dryness, eczema,
dermatitis, skin allergies, fungal infections, blemishes, wrinkles, stretch
marks, scars, scrapes, and more.
How Shea Butter is Processed
The labor devoted to producing shea butter from the nuts is
immense. The nuts are first gathered from the ground around shea trees that are
scattered over a large area. Typically, the women and children transport the
nuts by carrying them on their head and walking as much as 10 miles a day. Once
collected, the nuts are boiled and dried. The outer fruit is removed and the
kernels are dried again. The kernels are then cracked and finally, the nuts are
removed and dried a final time. The process is exact and tedious and has taken
thousands of years to refine. And it is done without the use of chemicals!
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