THE TREASURE OF THE SHEA TREE

THE TREASURE OF THE SHEA TREE 

Mali is home to one of the largest areas of trees in the so-called shea  belt, which spans almost 20 countries across West Africa’s semi-arid Sahel. For centuries rural women across the region have earned a living by producing a butter from the fruit of the tree, which is then used in cooking and on the skin. Traditionally known as “women’s gold”, the butter is hugely important for rural women in Mali, who rely on it for 80% of their income But, despite this, rudimentary production processes have kept production stuck at only around 80,000 tons per year, far behind the estimated potential of 250,000 tons per year.