Shea Butter - Facts
For millennia in Africa, shea butter has been exploited as a
food, for skin pomade, medicinal uses, etc. Since the 19th century,
Africans have traded the tree crop and used shea as a source of
stearin (vegetable fat), particularly for the European chocolate
industry, and more recently as a highly valued and beneficial
component of personal care products. Total exports from Africa
are estimated at 150,000 t kernel, similar to the amount locally
used, with up to 10% of the total exports consumed in cosmetics.
Recently, consumer demand for traceability and certification in
terms of fair-trade, quality assurance and organic farming methods
has increased. Shea butter has been traditionally extracted by women from the dried kernels of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) for many millennia. This species grows extensively in the agroforestry parklands of semi-arid Africa in a 6,000 km x 500+ km zone from Senegal to Uganda, where it is protected and managed. Total production potential reaches over 2.5 million metric tonnes (MT1) kernel. People living in the semi-arid zone of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), who until recently,have had few native sources of edible oil or fat, have traditionally used shea butter in large quantities. It is estimate that at least 150,000 t kernel is consumed annually for frying, adding to sauces, as a skin pomade, for medicinal applications, to make soap, for lanterns, and for cultural purposes at ceremonies, like births, weddings and funerals. The demand for vegetable fat in the western marketplace grows, and shea butter is now commonly used in the production of cocoa butter equivalents or improvers (up to 5% content by weight is allowed under European Union (EU) regulations on chocolate), other confectionaries and margarines. Exports from Africa now total an estimated 150,000 t of dry shea kernel with a current market value of approximately US$30 million with prices around US$200 t f.o.b. West African port. Producers use this for the preparation of ca. 18,000 t of stearin (the solid 'fat' fraction) with an estimated value of US$36 million. No one knows what volume is used in the United States (US) for edible products, since the US does not permit noncocoa vegetable in products labelled as chocolate. Shea butter has important therapeutic properties, particularly
for the skin This market uses as much as 5-10% of the total African exports, which equates to an estimated 2,500 and 8,000 t shea butter used worldwide. A significant portion (500+ MT) is now used in the US market. Since we know that Africa exported less than 200 t of traditionally processed shea butter in 1994, the growth rate of this market shows growth of over 25% per annum. Certification of shea kernel and butter has become increasingly important for a number of reasons. Beginning January 1, 2005 the EU will start to demand that all agricultural products, including shea nuts, are traceable from source (Reg. 178, Jan. 2002). A number of cosmetic companies are asking for organically certified shea butter for the formulation of organically. Source: Technical Report: Prepared by Dr. Peter Lovett, Shea Butter Consultant for WATH. |
