Thumbnail Image

Support to Sustainable Management of Shea Tree Park Lands in Three Communities in the West Gonja District, Northern Region, Ghana - TCP/GHA/3601

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 9

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The shea tree occurs over almost the entire area ofnorthern Ghana – around 77 670 square kilometres – andsupports the livelihood of approximately 900 000 ruralwomen involved in the sector. Over the last few decadeshowever, the density of shea trees in parkland has beendwindling. Drought, bush fire, population pressure,shortened fallows and/or technical changes haveincreased tree mortality and removal and decreased treeregeneration in the parklands. Shea populations are alsothreatened by the African mistletoe, a parasitic plant thatcauses discontinued growth, withering of tree parts andeventual tree death, affecting a large portion of theregional shea population. There is a clear risk that thisresource may decline even further in the coming years. The process of shea butter production is an importantincome-generating activity for many rural women innorthern Ghana and, for some, represents their onlysource of livelihood. Despite this, the traditionalmethod of collection and processing is an arduous,time-consuming and highly hazardous one. Hazardsinclude scorpions and snakes, in particular beyondcultivated areas. Traditional processing methods utilizelarge quantities of water and firewood, which are scarcenatural resources. In addition, the traditional productionmethod’s extraction rates are low and the product qualityis not standardized. Finally, logistics such as warehousingand transportation infrastructure are inadequate in thearea.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    The Contribution of Tree Crop Products to Smallholder Households: A case study of Baobab, Shea, and Néré in Burkina Faso 2015
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This document examines the contrib ution of tree products derived from baobab (Adansonia digitata), shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) and néré (Parkia biglobosa) to smallholder livelihoods where these nontimber forest products form a significant part of the subsistence economies of smallholder households in the Sahelian region. The benefits are access to nutritious foodstuffs particularly during the soudure hunger season and are also commercialised.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Booklet
    The contribution of women in small-scale fisheries to healthy food systems and sustainable livelihoods in Ghana 2023
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The Gender Brief is tailored to provide insight into the contributions of women in small-scale fisheries to healthy food systems and sustainable livelihoods in Ghana. Approximately 90 000 women in Ghana depend on small-scale fisheries for their livelihoods, mostly in the post-harvest sector. Pervasive gender norms limit women’s opportunities and decision-making power at household and community levels, as they face many gender-based constraints in fisheries value chains and they are more vulnerable to intersecting factors such as poverty and gender-based violence. Targeted actions should be undertaken to address gender inequalities and support women’s empowerment in the Ghanaian fisheries sector, including the establishment of gender units at ministerial level, the provision of training and awareness raising to fisheries extension officers and the integration of women’s perspectives and knowledge in fisheries resource management and climate adaptation plans.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    Increasing the resilience of communities against disaster risk in Upper West Region, Ghana - TCP/GHA/3502 2019
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Climate change issues are among the leading causes of hunger and affect all dimensions of food security in the Upper West region of Ghana, including access to food, availability and stability of supplies and nutrition. To address this situation, the project aimed to increase the productivity of selected crop commodity value chains (maize, cowpea, soya bean, Sorghum and groundnut) and develop information, education and communication materials for training and capacity-building in disaster management. Emphasis was also placed on Good Agricultural Practices to reduce risk and improve natural resource management.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.