By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Buipe (S/R), July 20, GNA – The Global Shea Alliance has marked this year’s Shea Day with renewed calls for collective action to restore and protect Africa’s shea parklands.
Mr Aaron Adu, Managing Director of GSA, who made the call in a speech read on his behalf during the celebration at Buipe in the Savannah Region, said safeguarding the shea resource was critical to sustaining rural livelihoods, preserving biodiversity and securing the future of the shea industry.
The GSA marks Shea Day as part of its annual Shea Month (July) campaign to rally governments, traditional authorities, local communities, development partners, researchers and the private sector behind efforts to secure the future of shea.
This year’s Shea Day was attended by various stakeholders including traditional authorities, government officials, development partners, researchers, private sector actors and women in the shea value chain.
As part of the celebrations, participants planted shea seedlings in the area.
As part of this year’s Shea Month activities, the GSA and its partners have planned to plant 900,000 shea seedlings including improved grafted varieties as well as conduct community sensitisation campaigns across the shea belt, expand online advocacy and organize community celebrations to promote restoration and conservation efforts.
Mr Adu, whose speech was read by Mr Iddi Zakaria, Ghana’s Representative on the Board of the GSA, said the celebration was not only about honouring the shea tree but recognizing its immense contribution to generations of communities especially women, whose livelihoods depended on the industry.
He warned that West Africa was losing an estimated eight million shea trees annually due to population growth, agricultural expansion, bushfires, unsustainable tree removal and climate change.
He said if the trend persisted, global demand for shea would exceed supply by 2044 posing a serious threat to biodiversity, rural economies and millions of women, whose incomes depended on the shea value chain.
He said the GSA was working to reverse the trend through its Action for Shea Parklands initiative, which amongst others sought to nurture 10 million shea and native trees, restore four million hectares of shea parklands, empower 10 million women to sustainably manage the landscapes and support 10 countries to strengthen policies protecting the shea sector by 2030.
He emphasized that “Every seedling planted today represents hope for tomorrow. Every mature shea tree protected represents a livelihood secured. Every community that joins this movement brings us one step closer to reversing the decline of Africa’s shea landscapes.”
Mr Adu expressed appreciation to development partners including the United Nations Development Programme, the Green Climate Fund, the French Development Agency and the Mastercard Foundation for their continued commitment to the future of shea as well as the government including the Forestry Commission, Tree Crops Development Authority and the Office of the President for their leadership and support.
Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, whose speech was read on his behalf, described shea as one of the country’s most strategic natural resources with enormous untapped economic potential.
He emphasized that “Ghana must move beyond exporting raw shea nuts and invest in value addition through local processing into products such as shea butter, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and confectionery for both domestic and international markets.”
Dr Hugh Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Forestry Commission, whose speech was read on his behalf, commended traditional authorities, women shea collectors and processors, nursery operators, farmers and local communities for their role in restoring degraded landscapes and protecting the country’s shea resources.
He urged stakeholders to deepen collaboration to conserve biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience and expand economic opportunities through sustainable shea production and value addition.
Mr Mahama Fuseini, Central Gonja District Chief Executive emphasized need for strong partnerships to promote sustainable shea production, empower women and young people and expand market opportunities to improve household incomes.
Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II, Paramount Chief of Buipe Traditional Area touched on the importance of shea saying the shea tree was an integral part of the heritage and livelihoods of the Gonja people as generations of families depended on it for food, income and economic empowerment.
He urged communities to intensify efforts to prevent bushfires, protect young shea trees and promote sustainable land management practices.
He commended GSA and its partners for their efforts at restoring and protecting shea parklands.
GNA