| December 21th, 2022 |
The Savannah Fruits Company and Sundial Brands Launch “Shea Gets Greener!” For A Better Shea Butter Supply Chain in West Africa
The Savannah Fruits Company and Sundial Brands Launch “Shea Gets Greener!” For A Better Shea Butter Supply Chain in West Africa
December 21, 2022
Accra, Ghana – The Savannah Fruits Company (SFC) is thrilled to announce the launch of an exciting partnership titled “Shea Gets Greener!” in collaboration with Sundial Brands (makers of SheaMoisture), the USAID-funded West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, and Partnership for Natural Ingredients. With a budget of 9.3 million USD over the next two years, the partnership will provide training and equipment to 21,000 women in Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Mali, and establish 28 modernized, handcrafted shea butter and kernel processing centers. The enhanced production will empower women in the Shea Butter supply chain to access organic and fairly traded markets, produce higher quality Shea butter in large volumes, maximize value addition in local communities, and greatly reduce the environmental impact from processing. As a result, SFC expects participating womens’ incomes to increase by 100%, along with a 90% reduction in wood and water consumption.
“This is a great example of how economic empowerment leads to positive environmental impact by making the entire supply chain greener and reducing the pressure on the natural Savannah ecosystem. We invite all personal care companies to learn about this initiative and collaborate with us,” said Raphael Gonzalez, SFC Managing Director & Co-founder.
“Sundial Brands is proud to partner with SFC on this important initiative that will benefit so many West African women in our supply chain, along with their families. We are committed to raising living standards and reducing our environmental impact, and the ‘Shea Gets Greener!’ initiative is emblematic of that commitment,” said Cara Sabin, CEO of Sundial Brands and Beauty & Wellbeing North America, Unilever. “To date, through our partnership with The Savannah Fruits Company, 53,000 West African women in cooperatives have received fair wages in our shea butter supply chain.”
“The Savannah Fruits Company’s aim to empower West African women and improve their livelihoods through shea nut collection and processing is directly aligned with the Trade Hub’s core objective of supporting initiatives that lead to women’s economic empowerment and gender equality. We are excited about the ways this partnership directly increases women’s access to economic resources and opportunities and is helping to create more environments where women can thrive.” said Robin Wheeler, the Trade Hub’s Chief of Party.
“The Shea Gets Greener! partnership will grow our reach to rural women in West Africa who will share their highest quality handcrafted butter with customers around the world. It’s also encouraging for SFC staff to see their hard work engaging rural communities who are a crucial part of our supply chain pay off.” said Sofia Durrani, SFC Head of Sustainability and CSR.
Joseph Funt, Lead, Multi-Stakeholder Strategy, Partnership for Natural Ingredients said “The partnership allows us to align public and private resources and substantially scale-up a community centered shea butter production that improves livelihoods. We are thrilled to support SFC.”
SFC empowers rural African women through community process of the highest quality natural products, practicing a socially and environmentally responsible business while ensuring value addition at source is maximized. SFC customers utilize this butter in a range of personal care applications around the world. SFC believes business can, and should, produce social good and contribute to the sustainability of our planet’s ecosystem.
About SFC: The Savannah Fruits Company is headquartered in Tamale, Ghana and was founded in 2006 on the belief that business can, and should, produce social good and contribute to the sustainability of our planet’s ecosystem. We work with local cooperatives, empowering women in a sustainable, profitable manner. We offer a fully traceable supply chain and logistics from start to finish: the collection of the nuts and seeds in West Africa; the processing in communities; the refining/filtering and packing in state-of-the-art facilities in Europe; and the transport and delivery to our worldwide clients. LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
About SheaMoisture: SheaMoisture is a global beauty and personal care leader committed to serving the Black community through strategic investment and community give back. SheaMoisture recognizes the power of entrepreneurship in addressing racial inequality with the belief that commerce can bring true economic independence. Every year SheaMoisture reinvests at least 1% of net sales directly into economic opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs and Black business owners. With every purchase, you’re helping to fund investments that support funding for Black-owned business, entrepreneurial education, crisis response, equitable purchasing, and ethical sourcing. SheaMoisture develops no compromise beauty products that help every member of the Black community live their healthiest, most beautiful lives. Shea butter is one of the brand’s core ingredients, praised for its hydrating and nourishing properties, and sourced from women-led cooperatives in West Africa, providing fair wages and creating economic opportunities. The company offers products in hair care, bath, body, skin care, baby and men’s categories, and is distributed in retailers throughout the world. SheaMoisture is a subsidiary of Unilever. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
About USAID: USAID is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. USAID’s activities and strategic partnerships support Ghana’s journey to self-reliance and advances an integrated approach to development. It promotes accountability, sustainable systems, and inclusive development.
About USAID West Africa Trade & Investment Hub: The USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) is a USAID-funded initiative that catalyzes economic growth through co-investing with the private sector to generate new investment, create new jobs, and increase the value of regional and international exports in West Africa.
About Partnership for Natural Ingredients: Partnership for Natural Ingredients is a boutique advisory that supports food and personal care companies to sustainably develop natural ingredient supply chains through partnership strategies, fundraising, and project management.
Media Enquiries: Please contact Sofia Durrani, Head of Sustainability and CSR, at
sofia@savannahfruits.com