Environmental Pledge

We believe that we are in a climate crisis and want to do our part and support others to do theirs as well. We try to organize our work, our activities and our life to tread as softly as we can on our planet.We actively work with and support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted unanimously by all countries. Baraka Shea Butter was founded on the belief that business should create profit for the owners, create value for the entire value chain, from producers through to end-users, create value and impact in the communities where we work and be effective stewards of the environment. We don’t do this out of a sense of obligation, or because we are forced. We do it because we believe it is smart business in so many ways. To learn more about our thinking on this, you can read the blogs below and check out the CSR Training Institute an impact organization founded and run by Baraka’s Founder and Managing Director. You can see more about our work and commitment on these videos Shea Butter – no waste from making it Waste Not. That is how we do it. @Amina Yussif, explains the care and strategy that goes into ensuring that nothing is wasted when making Baraka Shea Butter. She explains how the hard-working women who make Baraka Shea Butter carefully work with any remaining residue and material, shaping and drying it so they can use it for fuel for cooking, and even making the next batch of pure, unrefined, hand-crafted Baraka Shea Butter. Shea Tree Regeneration Interview Shea Trees grow wild and regenerate naturally. I’m often asked about how many seeds are left behind to regenerate and grow. Most of them are. Research estimate suggests that at least 85% of the Shea Seeds that fall from Shea Trees are unpicked and available to germinate. As you can see from the discussion with Alfred Akolgo Baraka’s Country Manager, there are lots of young Shea Trees coming up. Shea Trees take several years before they start fruiting, so these young seedlings are a few years away from producing the delicious fruit and the seed that makes Shea Butter. The real dangers to Shea Trees and the industry are burning. While efforts are underway to reverse it, there is a growing practice of burning off areas in the dry season. This damages the seedlings. There is also some cutting of Shea Trees for making charcoal (although the more money people make from the Shea Butter industry the less motivation there is for this). Climate change is another issue – there isn’t a lot known about how climate change will affect the Shea Industry but what is known is scary. Using shells from shea nuts for fuel Nothing is wasted. Preparing Shea Nuts (seeds) for making Shea Butter includes removing the husks. These husks are not just discarded. Watch as @Baraka’s Women’s Development Coordinator @Amina Yusiff explains how the women use the husks for fuel, saving resources and money Using everything – fuel from Shea Butter residue Using everything Hand-crafting pure, unrefined shea butter leaves behind a residue that is not wasted. The hard-working women that make @Baraka Shea Butter mold this residue into fuel balls that they dry and use for cooking and even sometimes for making their next batch of Shea Butter! Listen to Baraka’s Women’s Development Coordinator, @Amina Yusiff as she explains how this is done. Cultural Display at Global Day to Combat Desertification, Wechiau, Ghana Desertification is affecting Shea Trees Baraka and its Founder, Wayne Dunn have been actively involved in the conservation of Ghana’s fragile Savannah for years. This video that Wayne filmed in 2011 in northern Ghana while he was supporting Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency on their Anti-Desertification Program highlights some of the community/cultural integration that is part of the effort to create grassroots awareness and action on climate change and its impact. Baraka is actively involved in promoting conservation of Shea Trees. Lack of economic options often forces families to cut down Shea Trees and make charcoal for cooking (Shea is known as producing the best hardwoods). Baraka is involved in education and awareness campaigns and, more importantly, every kilogram of pure handmade Baraka Shea Butter that is purchased puts more money into the hands of hard-working women and families and incentivizes them to preserve the Shea Trees.