Fundamentals of shea butter production: Input-output analyses and profit maximization in Northern Ghana

Shea butter is a vital commodity in the global economy, engaging millions of women across the African shea belt, as income directly or indirectly in the value chain. The shea kernel is obtained from processing fresh shea fruits and further processed into shea butter. Manual and semi-mechanized methods are employed in processing shea kernel into butter. Major inputs are; kernel, water, energy, and time and outputs are; shea butter and wastewater. Focus group discussions and individual interviews and material flow analysis were applied to cross-sectional data generated from five Shea Butter Extraction Women Cooperative centres in the Northern and Upper West Regions of Ghana. Results showed that with an input of 86.3 ± 1.88 kg of the kernel, 305.2 ± 24.3 L of water, 49.7 ± 7.2 kg of fuelwood and 15.11 ± 1.9 h, the output was 29.7 ± 2.39 kg of shea butter, 46.86 ± 13.8 kg of shea residues and 202.3 ± 3.95 L of wastewater (effluent). The study recommends more efficient use of inputs to ensure profit maximization. Processing at the cooperative level coupled with sustainable value addition promotion, could guarantee security and increased income. Further research on the chemical composition of shea waste will be required for possible reuse.