Sustainable solutions: Mary Kay joins Global Shea Alliance seeking solid sector strategies

27 Nov 2023 --- Sustainable shea practices are in focus as Mary Kay joins the Global Shea Alliance (GSA), a non-profit organization aiming to create and enforce strategies that promote the industry and encourage women’s empowerment.

Mary Kay is optimistic it can work with the GSA to “further harness the transformative potential of shea in skin care and cosmetics.”

Making shea butter better
The global beauty giant intends to spearhead initiatives it believes will enhance “the economic well-being of shea collectors and processors, as well as undertaking crucial efforts to restore degraded parklands in West Africa.”

GSA says it is “thrilled” to collaborate with Mary Kay to “drive substantial positive change with the cosmetics industry…and establish new industry standards for social and environmental responsibility…”

Growing market for shea products
Shea butter is mainly sourced from West Africa and is widely used in cosmetics due to its high concentration of fatty acids and vitamins that help moisturize skin.  

Vitellaria paradoxa grows mainly in Western Africa, while Vitellaria Nilotica (a sub-species of Vitellaria paradoxa) is native to East African countries such as Uganda, Kenya and Sudan. The shea butter from Western Africa is denser, while the shea butter from East Africa (nilotica shea butter) is more liquid.

The Center for the Promotion of Imports (CBI) in the Netherlands points to heightened demand for the butter, especially in the European cosmetics market. 

It sees the space for natural and organic products increasing even more due to shea butter’s “unique” properties.

Working on women’s empowerment
Africa’s “shea belt” deals with high volumes and an elevated concentration of female workers.Africa’s “shea belt” deals with high volumes and an elevated concentration of female workers. 

Personal Care Insights recently reported on another effort to tackle industry issues, collaborating with the CBI, the Nigerian government and the Shea Women’s Association of Nigeria.

They aim to help promote gender equality and create a more favorable environment for some 1,000 women who work in Nigeria’s shea butter space.

Expansion in export market
The CBI sees the global shea market reaching US$2.9 billion by 2025, with Europe representing more than 25% of the world market. 

According to the GSA, almost all of the shea produced in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana and Burkina Faso is used by the food industry, with about 15% absorbed by the cosmetics sector to make products ranging from hair treatments for dry hair to anti-aging creams.

The GSA also sees significant growth for the shea export market. It says the last two decades saw exports from African countries jump 600%, which led to about US$200 million in annual income and employment for more than 4 million women. 

Seeking sustainable solutions
GSA also joined the Global EverGreening Alliance to advance shea parkland restoration in West Africa through natural regeneration. 

The two groups are targeting large-scale implementation of restoration programs by leveraging a network of organizations, governments and multilateral agencies to work toward a greener future.

By Anita Sharma