Vulnerability and Risks for Female Producers in Shea Kernel Production

Local Shea Kernel Production Process

Shea Kernel production includes the stages of Shea harvesting, fruit de-pulping, nut parboiling, drying, nut de-husking, and bagging. The ripened Shea fruits are carefully picked by female producers on farms or in bushes. A soft skin indicates the fruit is ripened and can be easily de-pulped. Fruits that birds or snakes have eaten are avoided since this can affect the quality of Shea kernel. Female producers who gather Shea fruits from bushes describe the picking experience in bushes as competitive; the quantity of fruits collected depends on the pace at which one picks from the ground. Harvested fruits are carried to the houses by tricycles or mostly by carrying the load on the head. After harvesting, the fruit is de-pulped by removing the skin covering the nut. This is usually done by eating the fruit with the help of children or removing the skin by hand. In de-pulping, impurities and infested nuts are removed and thrown away. The nuts are then parboiled in large pans, and an indication of the reddish color of the nuts determines well-parboiled nuts. After parboiling, the nuts are spread on cemented ground to sun-dry, and it can take up to 5 days for nuts to be well dried. In drying, nuts are turned over from time to time until properly dried. The hard shell covering the kernel is removed by beating the nuts with sticks in order to break the husk from the kernel. After de-husking, nuts are stored in sacks and kept in storage rooms or warehouses, ready to be sold (Annan, 2014 and Participant observation (2017) during fieldwork in Tamale Metropolis and East Gonja Municipality of Northern Region in Ghana). Figure 1 depicts the harvested Shea fruit, parboiling, and drying stages of the Shea kernel production stages.

The pictures were taken during fieldwork (2017) in Tamale Metropolis and East Gonja Municipality of Northern Region in Ghana.

Risks During Production

Safety Risks:
Women face snake bites during shea fruit harvesting in bushes. Animals compete for the fruits, leading to frequent encounters with snakes. A female producer’s narrative describes being bitten by a snake while collecting fruits, a common risk for harvesters (Farm diary, 2017).

"We wake up very early in the morning to go to the bush or sometimes to the farms. If we do not go early, we will not return home early. Thus, we normally go early. During harvesting, the snakes and other animals are always competing with us for the Shea fruits. The fruits taste delicious, and the snakes also enjoy the fruits. So, anytime we pick up, a snake may also bite us. It is very painful when a snake bites you. Sometimes, if you are not lucky, you might die or get very sick. There was a time I was bitten by a snake. I was very lucky my husband was around, so he took me to the hospital. But we encounter a lot of snake bites, especially when we pick from the bushes."

Health Risks:
During parboiling, women risk burns and eye injuries from the steam and smoke of firewood, with limited access to healthcare further endangering their lives.
Unfair Pricing:
The pricing of shea kernels excludes labor, transportation, and health costs incurred by producers (Wardell & Fold, 2013). Female producers face price discrimination, contributing to poverty and malnutrition in their communities. Throughout the stages of Shea kernel production (harvesting, fruit de-pulping, nut parboiling, drying, nut de-husking, and bagging), female producers incur extra costs, including transportation, processing cost (firewood, water), labor cost, and hospital costs. All these factors are key in formulating the price of Shea kernel. However, female producers remain price takers, and prices are dedicated and determined for them (Wardell & Fold, 2013). This act of price discrimination contributes to unfair pricing of Shea kernel. Unfair pricing may also lead to female Shea kernel producers not being able to take good care of their children, leading to malnutrition in children and worsening poverty in Shea communities.

Conclusion

Shea kernel production, dominated by women, is key to poverty reduction and female empowerment in Ghana. Despite its luxury status at the end of the value chain, shea remains undervalued at the raw material level, leaving female producers vulnerable. Global efforts must focus on improving shea pricing and empowering producers to negotiate better conditions. These actions would contribute to Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty reduction (SDG 1), zero hunger (SDG 2), gender equity (SDG 5), and decent work (SDG 8).

References

Pictures taken during fieldwork (2017) in Tamale Metropolis and East Gonja Municipality of Northern Region in Ghana.
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