IDH and the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) organised a Shea Market Workshop in Chad which aims to promote market awareness among key stakeholders in the Chadian shea value chain. The workshop validated the key results from the ‘Stakeholder and Market Mapping Report’, which analyses different stakeholder categories in the value chain, as well as current and future opportunities for local demand and export.
The workshop brought together around 30 participants representing various stakeholders in the shea industry, including women’s cooperatives, international buyers, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), distributors, non-profit organizations, donors, and government institutions.
“The shea value chain in Chad holds significant transformative potential driven by strong local demand and a favorable outlook at the international level. Our strategic partnership with IDH aims to unlock the full spectrum of opportunities at the production, SMEs, and industry level, paving the way for a sustainable and thriving shea sector in Chad,” stated Aaron Adu, Managing Director at GSA. “This workshop serves as a platform to forge meaningful connections among stakeholders, formulate market growth strategies, and drive our mission of enhancing the economic resilience of shea communities, with a specific focus on empowering women and youths”.
“We are excited to collaborate with the Global Shea Alliance on the long-term sustainability of the shea industry in Chad as part of an integrated landscape program that aims to create climate resilience for farming communities in Chad’s cotton growing region,” expressed Heleen Bulckens, Senior Program Manager Materials at IDH.
The Shea Market Workshop provided a platform for industry stakeholders to peer educate and network, and facilitated discussions around developing a market strategy for the Chadian shea market, and building market capacity.
The one-day featured presentations and group discussions on demand and supply trends, buyer requirements, contract negotiation, and establishing commercial relationships. Attendees also heard insights from countries that are successfully developing their shea industry. The event also featured a business-to-business forum for interactions between buyers and sellers.
This workshop is a crucial step toward fostering long-term sustainability of the shea industry in Chad, which supports the ambitions of the multi-commodity landscape initiative convened by IDH and which aims to create climate resilience for farming communities in Chad’s cotton-growing region.