By Philip Tengzu
Sankana, (UW/R), July 17, GNA – The Global Shea Alliance (GSA) has described the shea tree as the backbone of rural livelihoods, especially for women in the shea landscape across many countries in Africa due to its economic viability.
“The tree is more than a source of fruit. It is a symbol of resilience and life for millions of communities across 21 countries in Africa.
The economic impact of the shea tree is profound. For local communities, it is a source of food, income, education, and economic opportunity,” it said.
Mr Aaron Adu, the Managing Director of the GSA, who said this, added that millions of people across East and West Africa depended on the shea value chain, from harvesting, processing to value addition and marketing as a source of livelihood.
He was speaking at Sankana in the Nadowli/Kaleo District during the 2025 Shea Day Celebration and launch of the Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reductions Project (GSLERP).
The GSA organised the event, on the theme: “Plant a Shea Tree, Restore Livelihoods,” which brought together stakeholders including policymakers and traditional leaders to celebrate the achievements and ongoing efforts within the shea sector.
Mr Adu indicated that the shea industry contributed significantly to national economies, boosted trade, generated employment, and encouraged inclusive growth.
He said despite its significance, human activities such as commercial charcoal burning, agriculture and large-scale mining threatened the shea landscape.
The GSA Managing Director estimated that about 80 million trees are cut down every year across the landscape, calling for concerted efforts of stakeholders to address the menace.
Mr Adu said the GSA sought to mobilise about ten million women across 21 countries to plant and nurture shea trees, and to ensure that ten countries adopted policies that supported the shea industry to thrive.
In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, described the celebration as a call to action to empower rural communities, and build a sustainable shea industry.
He thanked the project funders and implementers including the GSA for their commitment to “nurturing the future” of thousands of Ghanaian women, youth, and smallholder farmers whose livelihoods depended on the shea landscape.
The Minister indicated that the GSLERP was a strategic commitment by the government of Ghana to scale up nature-based solutions in combating climate change.
He said the project aimed to restore 100,000 hectares of degraded parklands, plant 1.75 million shea trees and 400,000 high-value seedlings.
“In the 2025 planting season, we are proud to announce the goal to transplant over 800,000 shea seedlings and an additional 100,000 non-shea species across the savannah zone”, Mr Buah said.
Naa Pagraninge Saakoe Mornah III, the Paramount Chief of the Sankana Traditional Area, assured the GSA of his commitment to supporting the initiative due to the economic potential of shea.
He observed that the nursing, planting, and nurturing of shea seedling showed a constructive collaboration between tradition and innovation that would drive sustainable livelihoods.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Green Climate Fund provided funding for the GSLERP, implemented by the GSA and the Forestry Commission.
The celebration highlighted the significance of the shea industry in environmental sustainability, women’s empowerment and economic development and promoted the sustainability of shea parklands.
It featured, among other things, a symbolic shea tree planting to reinforce GSA’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the Action for Shea Parklands campaign.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Kenneth Odeng Adade