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Responsible sourcing of shea
Shea as raw material
The shea tree is a wild tree growing in the shea belt,
across Africa south of the Sahara. 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.
AAK as market leader
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, AAK
has built a solid and durable sourcing set-up across the
shea production areas as well as logistical hubs in the
coastal 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, AAK has
taken responsibility and engaged directly with the
women producers of shea kernels in our direct sourcing
program called Kolo Nafaso.
AAK publishes a shea sustainability progress report
twice a year, including a dashboard that tracks progress
on both our traditional and women’s groups supply
chains.
Contributes to:
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