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The Evolution of Shea Butter's "Paradox of paradoxa" and the Potential Opportunity for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to Improve Quality, Market Access and Women's Livelihoods across Rural Africa

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  • Julia Bello-Bravo

    (Center for African Studies and Illinois Strategic International Partnerships, Office of the Associate Provost for International Affairs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Suite 401, MC-417, 507 E. Green Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA)

  • Peter N. Lovett

    (Production & Supply Chain, Savannah Nutrition Ltd., 15 Guilder Lane, SP1 1HW Salisbury, UK)

  • Barry R. Pittendrigh

    (Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA)

Abstract

Shea trees grow across 4 million km 2 of sub-Saharan Africa. Shea parklands provide a sustainable source of edible fat (shea butter) that, in terms of volume, is currently second only to cocoa butter as a vegetal source of stearic acid in the multi-billion dollar chocolate and cosmetic sectors. However, in terms of international trade, shea has been opaque to consumers of edible products (where the majority of shea exports end their global journey) and actually only well-known in western markets as a cosmetic ingredient. The millions of women collectors have been disconnected from global supply chains, as the majority of their sheanuts are factory processed, supplied by traders who, in many cases, do not understand quality issues nor share knowledge with their village-based collectors—this is the “Paradox of paradoxa ”. This review provides the background to this issue by contextualizing the industry and describing how weak post-harvest quality control impacts the shea supply chain. The paper then explains how this knowledge was incorporated into a 3D animation available for free transmission to rural African audiences and viewing on portable devices like video capable mobile phones. This tool offers the potential of low-cost multiple benefits to users, which we term here a win-cubed [win 3 ] opportunity, where women collectors can receive free knowledge of using less resources to produce higher quality shea kernels which in turn offer higher extraction yields, lowering production costs, of a better and more marketable product.

Suggested Citation

  • Julia Bello-Bravo & Peter N. Lovett & Barry R. Pittendrigh, 2015. "The Evolution of Shea Butter's "Paradox of paradoxa" and the Potential Opportunity for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to Improve Quality, Market Access and Women's Livelihood," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-21, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:5:p:5752-5772:d:49342
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rousseau, Karen & Gautier, Denis & Wardell, D. Andrew, 2015. "Coping with the Upheavals of Globalization in the Shea Value Chain: The Maintenance and Relevance of Upstream Shea Nut Supply Chain Organization in Western Burkina Faso," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 413-427.
    2. Marilyn Carr & Martha Alter Chen & Jane Tate, 2000. "Globalization and Home-Based Workers," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(3), pages 123-142.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marcin Pawel Jarzebski & Abubakari Ahmed & Yaw Agyeman Boafo & Boubacar Siddighi Balde & Linda Chinangwa & Osamu Saito & Graham Maltitz & Alexandros Gasparatos, 2020. "Food security impacts of industrial crop production in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of the impact mechanisms," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(1), pages 105-135, February.
    2. Roger R. B. Leakey & Marie-Louise Tientcheu Avana & Nyong Princely Awazi & Achille E. Assogbadjo & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi & Prasad S. Hendre & Ann Degrande & Sithabile Hlahla & Leonard Manda, 2022. "The Future of Food: Domestication and Commercialization of Indigenous Food Crops in Africa over the Third Decade (2012–2021)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-75, February.
    3. Nora Amberg & Csaba Fogarassy, 2019. "Green Consumer Behavior in the Cosmetics Market," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-19, July.
    4. Meinhold, Kathrin & Dumenu, William Kwadwo & Darr, Dietrich, 2022. "Connecting rural non-timber forest product collectors to global markets: The case of baobab (Adansonia digitata L.)," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    5. Martha Adimabuno Awo, 2018. "A Survey-Based Qualitative Analysis of the Institutional Structures and Policy Measures in the Shea Sector of Ghana," Research in World Economy, Research in World Economy, Sciedu Press, vol. 9(2), pages 24-37, June.

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