Shea Butter: The Neglected “Gold” Of Northern Ghana.

" The Neglected “Gold” Of Northern Ghana.

The picture below shows the products of one of the treasures of the people of the northern part of Ghana that I dare refer to as our “gold”. Regrettably, I think we have left this very important natural resource to go untapped and now I can arguably say that it is fast facing extinction due to our inconsiderate activities over the years.

Growing up in rural Ghana, one of our go to fruits while busy at the farm was and is still the shea fruit. Pictured below (green round substance at the far right end). What is important is that the fruit gives way for an even more important and essential product which is widely used for various purposes - the golden shea butter. From eating the delicious fruits to enjoying the oil we extract from it thereafter and all the benefits it has for us, I think we have not done enough to enjoy the very best of this free gift of nature.

For those who do not know, in a clockwise direction, the fruits you see gives way for the pod which can undergo various processes and bring forth the beautiful finished product (white substance in the middle) called shea butter. The metamorphosis of the fruit to become shea butter is a skill most of our northern women are familiar with. Though a daunting task, it is one of the many things they do with delight because no matter how stressful, they know that shea butter will at least be available at home for its many uses.

I will not bore you with the cumbersome processing stages of obtaining shea butter because the import of this post is to encourage us to make the effort to save the African Shea Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa). However it is important to note that shea butter has a wide range of uses and is very well noted for it’s numerous domestic, cosmetics, health and economic importance.

I know that some institutions are doing well to tap this resource and make wonderful products out of it for our consumption and that of the international market. It has led to a source of livelihood and income for some people. We haven’t done much in my opinion though. What I haven’t seen however is the aspect of trying to protect the tree from which we get the fruits and pods which we are mainly focused on for use in our activities. Fact is, without the tree, we will be out of business.

So why then do we sit aloof and watch the source of this beautiful gift get destroyed mainly from our own activities including farming, the annual bush burning conundrum, cutting down shea trees for charcoal, use of chemicals among others? I believe we can do more to save the shea tree so that we can continue to enjoy it’s fruits and other products. It is sad to say that due to our own doings, the shea butter we get today is not as organic as it used to be few years back and that is not nature’s fault, but wholly ours.

Whoever has the power to something about this worrying issue should do so without hesitation because we are fast losing one of our blessings. It is our collective responsibility to ensure we preserve our natural resources effectively and that includes the golden treasure of the north - Shea Tree. Save a shea tree today so that the future can at least see it and not be told stories about it. You have a duty to do it.

Yɛ barika!"

Source: Facebook by Solomon Tatuoro and Andani ROYAL Family TV

Image credit: @Solomon.Tatuoro