The Global Shea Alliance (GSA) has declared July as Shea Month.

In a press statement, the Alliance said the initiative is to create awareness on the need to grow more trees to safeguard parklands, promote industry sustainability, and protect shea yards.

“GSA has identified declining shea tree population – estimated at around eight million per year. This is a major threat to the industry sustainability, community livelihoods, and the fight against climate change.

"The shea month will reinforce GSA’s effort to catalyse industry efforts to restore and preserve shea parklands through the Action for shea parklands – an initiative to grow 10 million trees and protect four million hectares of shea parklands over the next 10 years,” the release added.

The Shea Month will witness cross-regional activities including tree planting, community training, rallies, and social media campaigns in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Mali, and Ghana. Members in all the countries will observe Shea Day celebrations on July 16.

The GSA members, partners, and industry stakeholders have planted more than 110,000 trees in shea communities in West Africa since 2020.

Communities have also been trained on parklands protection guidelines and community by-laws on tree protection.

The group further encouraged shea actors to grow shea trees in support of the action for shea parklands.

"As the GSA continues to grow more trees and protect parklands, we call on all stakeholders to contribute by implementing activities directly in their supply chain or providing funding for the GSA to facilitate these activities,” the statement said.

The group will also support the Green Ghana Project as preparatory activities towards Shea Day. To learn more about Shea Month, visit www.actionforshea.com.  

The GSA is a non-profit industry association with 706 members from 36 countries including women’s groups, brands and retailers, suppliers, and NGOs.

The GSA promotes industry sustainability, quality practices and standards, and demand for shea in food and cosmetics through public-private partnerships. To learn more, visit www.globalshea.com.