Women’s Cooperatives, Shea Butter Value Chains, and Fair Trade Certification in West Africa

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 11, November 2026 | pp. 15–28

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001346

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Women’s Cooperatives, Shea Butter Value Chains, and Fair Trade Certification in West Africa

Names of Author: Fatimata Ouédraogo¹ & Claire Fontaine²

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Rural Economics and Sociology, Nazi Boni University, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso; ²Department of Development Studies, University of Lyon 2, Lyon, France.

Abstract:
Wild-harvested shea nuts represent a crucial source of independent income for millions of rural women across the West African savanna belt, earning shea butter the moniker "women’s gold." However, global cosmetic and confectionery corporations capture the vast majority of value-added profits while rural female collectors and processors receive minimal returns for labor-intensive harvesting and roasting. Although fair trade and organic certification schemes promise fairer pricing and community development premiums, bureaucratic compliance costs and male-dominated export intermediaries frequently limit women’s direct market access. This paper examines how women-owned shea processing cooperatives negotiate global supply chains in Burkina Faso and northern Ghana. Utilizing feminist value chain analysis, the study draws on financial audits of 12 cooperatives and interviews with 55 female processors. We demonstrate that direct export partnerships and collective mechanized processing significantly increase women’s retained earnings and household bargaining power.

Keywords: Shea butter value chains, women’s cooperatives, fair trade, feminist value chain analysis, rural livelihoods, West Africa, economic empowerment, agricultural trade

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 20, 2026; Revised: October 19, 2026; Accepted: October 23, 2026; Published: November 16, 2026.

Citation: Ouédraogo, F., & Fontaine, C. (2026). Women’s Cooperatives, Shea Butter Value Chains, and Fair Trade Certification in West Africa. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(11), 15–28. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001346

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