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A unique raw material for AAK
For millions of people in West Africa, shea is an essential
crop – both as a nutrition source and as a source of
income. But it’s also a vital and unique raw material for
AAK as we, in close collaboration with our customers,
develop tailor-made solutions for the chocolate and
confectionery and cosmetics industries.
Shea – a sustainable crop
The shea tree is a wild tree growing in the shea belt,
across Africa south of the Sahara. Countries with the
highest population of shea trees, which are indigenous
to Africa, include Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory
Coast, Mali, and Togo.
Shea is a very sustainable crop. The trees on which
shea kernels grow require no use of fertilizers or
pesticides.
Traditionally, it is women who collect and process
shea kernels. Part of the shea crop is sold, providing
an important source of income. The women not only
spend money earned to alleviate poverty and hunger,
they also invest in their children’s education and other
income-generating activities.
Market leader in the shea industry
AAK has more than 60 years of experience sourcing
shea kernels from West Africa. Working in close
cooperation with shea traders and women’s groups, we
have built a solid and durable sourcing set-up across
the shea production areas. In 2018, AAK’s supply chain
in Benin and its production site in Aarhus, Denmark
passed the ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon
Certification) audit and received certification for the third
time.
The traditional supply chain for shea is long and
complex, with many middlemen between AAK and the
women in the bush. Many of these middlemen have a
logistics function moving kernels from the rural areas
to the bigger towns. It’s a well-functioning supply chain,
providing an income to millions of people in West Africa.
As market leader in the shea industry, we have,
through our direct sourcing program Kolo Nafaso in
Burkina Faso and Ghana, taken responsibility and
engaged directly with more than 130,000 women
producers of shea kernels.