The University for Development Studies (UDS) has joined forces with the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada to tackle structural weaknesses in Ghana’s shea sector, convening researchers, industry players and community stakeholders at a two-day workshop held at the Nyankpala Campus focused on value chain reform and sustainable production.
The workshop, organised by the UDS Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment (FNRE) with funding from the Peter Gilgan Foundation, identified limited market access, weak governance, sustainability pressures and gender-related barriers as the critical fault lines holding back a sector that supports hundreds of thousands of rural women across Northern Ghana.
Participants called on policymakers to invest in the regeneration of ageing shea parklands, improve tree density, reduce post-harvest losses and build reliable market linkages to convert the crop’s enormous potential into consistent income for the women who anchor the supply chain.
Prof. Terry Sunderland of the UBC Faculty of Forestry acknowledged the shea sector’s contribution to national development but noted that women collectors continue to receive comparatively low returns. He stressed that collaborative international research is essential to charting sustainable production pathways while improving livelihoods at the base of the value chain.
Prof. Abubakari Alhassan, Director of the West African Centre for Sustainable Rural Transformation and Innovation (WACSIR), said sustaining production requires blending scientific knowledge with indigenous practices, with women kept firmly at the centre of the value chain.
UDS researcher Prof. Rakiatu Hussieni flagged how shifting market structures and growing commercialisation are reshaping women’s access to shea resources, with direct implications for their economic security. Prof. Bernard Baatuwie added that sustainable management of shea parklands is essential to maintaining long-term productivity and environmental resilience across the northern savannah landscape.
Faculty Dean Prof. Samuel J. Cobbina described the UBC partnership as a model of international collaboration with direct local impact, while Dr. Hamza Issifu, Head of the Department of Forestry and Forest Resource Management, urged all stakeholders to commit to a more inclusive and sustainable value chain.
The workshop comes ahead of the Global Shea Alliance’s SHEA 2026 annual conference, scheduled for Accra from April 27 to 29, where Ghana’s shea ambitions and the role of women in the sector are expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
