By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, June 12, GNA – The Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) has launched the National Shea Commodity Platform (NSCP) to strengthen coordination among actors in the country’s shea industry.
It is also to accelerate efforts aimed at transforming the sector into a competitive and sustainable contributor to national economic development.
It comprises the TCDA, a National Shea Advisory Committee, a Secretariat hosted by the TCDA, and a Plenary supported by five Technical Working Groups focusing on Production and Climate Resilience, Processing and Quality Standards, Market Access and Trade Facilitation, Gender and Youth Inclusion and Advocacy as well as Research, Innovation and Development.
It is to strengthen stakeholder coordination, support policy advocacy, improve market access, promote climate resilience, mobilize investments and enhance livelihoods across the country’s shea value chain, especially for women, who constitute the backbone of the industry.
The launch was attended by representatives of public institutions, development partners, traditional authorities, research institutions, financial institutions, civil society organizations, private sector, shea processors, aggregators and exporters, who are members of the NSCP.
Dr Andy Osei Okrah, the Chief Executive Officer, TCDA, speaking during the launch in Tamale on Thursday, said the establishment of the NSCP marked the evolution of the Shea Technical Working Group, which was inaugurated in January 2024 through a collaboration between the TCDA and the International Labour Organization to address challenges confronting the sector.
Dr Okrah said the NSCP would provide a unified voice and coordinated mechanism for advancing one of the country’s most strategic but underdeveloped agricultural commodities.
He said the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Ghana Shea Landscape Emissions Reduction Programme and its partners had facilitated the creation of the NSCP to serve as the industry’s policy advisory and coordination body with the TCDA agreeing to host its secretariat to ensure sustainability beyond donor-funded interventions.
Shea serves as an economic safety net for more than 600,000 women directly involved in its collection and processing and remains one of the most important sources of income for rural households in the northern part of the country.
The country produces between 130,000 and 150,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts annually, valued at approximately US$118 million.
Despite its significance, the shea sector continues to face structural challenges including fragmented stakeholder engagement and weak coordination across the value chain, hence the establishment of the NSCP to reverse the trend.
Dr Okrah said the TCDA’s vision was to formalize, modernize and transform the sector into a competitive industry capable of creating jobs, generating export revenue, supporting industrialisation and improving the livelihoods of thousands of women and youth, who depended on shea for survival.
He said the global shea market was valued at approximately US$2.75 billion and projected to exceed US$5.5 billion by 2033, presenting enormous opportunities for value addition, local processing and industrialisation.
Mr Niloy Banerjee, the UNDP Resident Representative in Ghana, whose speech was read on his behalf by Mr Ayirebi Frimpong, Forest Specialist at UNDP Ghana, described the launch as a turning point for coordination in the country’s shea sector.
He said the NSCP would help move the sector “from fragmentation to coordination, and from isolated interventions to systems transformation.”
Mr Ali Adolf John, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf Mr Alhassan Fuseini, the Savelugu Municipal Chief Executive, said the launch was another important turning point in the growth of the country’s shea industry.
He urged stakeholders to use the NSCP to promote collaboration, research, innovation, market access and women’s economic empowerment.
Mr Aaron Adu, the Managing Director, Global Shea Alliance said the NSCP would provide a structured mechanism for engaging government and development partners on issues such as market access, infrastructure, finance, climate resilience and environmental protection.
He urged stakeholders to look beyond individual interests and focus on the collective future of the shea industry.
Dr Hugh Brown, the Chief Executive Officer, Forestry Commission, whose speech was read on his behalf, said the NSCP formed part of the broader Ghana Shea Landscape Emissions Reduction Project being implemented by the Forestry Commission with support from the Green Climate Fund, UNDP and the Global Shea Alliance.
He called on members of the NSCP to embrace collaboration, innovation, transparency and shared responsibility in advancing the sector.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Benjamin Mensah
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