About Us

An international shea alliance to promote the industry around the world 

Vision and Mission

The Global Shea Alliance is an international, non-profit association of industry stakeholders whose mission is to represent and further the shared interests of the shea sector.

Vision: A sustainable and competitive shea industry.

Mission: To enhance economically viable,environmentally and socially responsible shea nuts and shea product businesses.

Code of Ethics: The Global Shea Alliance commits itself to promote sustainable growth in pursuit of these objectives: promote growth of the industry; best international business practices; good corporate governance; respect the environment; improve quality; pay fair prices; communication and transparency; confidentiality. View the GSA Code of Ethics.

Guidelines, structure and functions

Download the Global Shea Alliance guidelines here.

Stakeholders have formed an international shea alliance to promote shea worldwide, establish industry standards for quality and sustainable sourcing and facilitate information exchange. For more reasons why the industry decided to form an alliance, read the following one-pager.

On October 11, 2010, more than 50 shea industry stakeholder established the first international shea alliance. They included the world’s largest buyers of shea nuts and shea butter, traders, processors, service providers and non-governmental organizations from across West Africa and around the world. 28 companies signed a declaration to form the international alliance.

Stakeholders elected an interim executive committee to develop the new alliance’s guidelines, structure and functions. Global Shea, the internationally recognized brand developed by stakeholders in 2009, will be used to represent the alliance on an interim basis. Stakeholders elected to house the alliance’s secretariat at the USAID West Africa Trade Hub on an interim basis.

 Founder Members 
3Fs Group
AAK
African Cashew Alliance
Agro Inter
CECI
Daralkuchi    
Filière National de Karité, Mali
Fludor
GKH
GIZ
Ghana Nuts
Ghana Shea Network
Ideal Providence Farms
Karikis		La Table Filière Karité, Burkina Faso
Meena Agro Oil
Naasakle
Olam
Primrose
SNV    
Technoserve
The Body Shop
The Pure Company
Trade Rights International
University for Development Studies, Ghana
USAID West Africa Trade Hub
Wilmar
World Cocoa Foundation

Formal Launch at Shea 2011: Sustainable Solutions

The alliance was formally launched at Shea 2011: Sustainable Solutions, the international shea industry conference, April 4-7, 2011, in Accra, Ghana (read the press release), and a new executive was elected from 16 candidates. The conference was organized by the USAID West Africa Trade Hub with sponsorship support from stakeholders across the industry.

The annual conference brings together hundreds of industry stakeholders to discuss major issues affecting shea. Producers, traders, processors, international brands will be present. It connects stakeholders and service providers, including financial institutions and transport companies.