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Business news for Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Source: Melvin Tarlue, contributor
2020-09-09
The plant is part of efforts to protect and advance the West African shea supply chain.
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Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC), the specialty oils and fats business of Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG), officially announces the opening of its state-of-the-art shea butter processing plant in Tema, Ghana with the launch of Where Life Crece the campaign celebrating the company’s efforts to build a resilient and sustainable shea supply chain in Africa.
The state-of-the-art processing plant marks the company’s latest investment to meet the growing demand for shea worldwide.
The plant is part of efforts to protect and advance the West African shea supply chain.
“Our latest investment in Ghana plays a critical role in strengthening HRC’s global infrastructure to process and supply high-quality shea products to our customers around the world, while strengthening the entire ecosystem of regional crushers and harvesters. local shea in the West African region, ”said Aaron Buettner, president of BLC. “The facility allows us to significantly support and empower local shea communities by transferring knowledge of value-added processes and investing in local skills development. We are proud to join forces with local communities to help build and promote the African shea industry together. “
In operation since 2019, the facility is the first HRC shea processing plant in Africa and the largest of its kind on the continent. “The facility is a fully automated solvent fractionation plant that processes raw shea butter made from locally harvested and crushed shea nuts,” said Antoine Turpin, General Manager West Africa at BLC. “Currently, the facility provides employment for 73 people, mainly from the local community. Its strategic location not only allows for a more efficient production process, but also fulfills BLC’s commitment to build a more sustainable supply chain for shea. “
Where life grows
A campaign called Where Life Grows was also launched to celebrate this milestone.
The campaign, a tribute to the region’s long-standing shea legacy, is designed to celebrate BLC’s ongoing commitments and efforts within its shea sustainability program. The program was established three years ago with the goal of empowering women shea gatherers, creating socioeconomic value in their communities, and conserving and regenerating the shea landscape in the region. Shea, also fondly recognized by the locals as the tree of life, has become a vital ingredient in both food and non-food products, increasing the demand for shea butter at a CAGR of 6.27% in value and 7.9% by volume until 2024. 16 million African women living in rural communities and their families depend on the shea industry to financially support their homes and contribute to their communities.
“We believe the key to building a better tomorrow for shea communities is investing in sustainable trade and income diversification,” explains Ben Vreeburg, Senior Director of Sustainability Tropical Oils at BLC. “This belief is what gives life to our shea sustainability initiatives and the Where Life Grows campaign captures our commitment to creating value for the countries and communities where shea originates.”
As a founding member of the Global Shea Alliance, BLC works to ensure that shea pickers in its supply chain are empowered through training and donating tools that enhance women’s safety, enhance their physical well-being, and make the harvesting process more efficient. efficient. BLC has also contributed to programs designed to increase the value and quality of the harvested crop, such as building warehouses and developing partnerships with local shredders, which in turn increases financial gain for cooperative women’s groups. Additionally, as a result of climate change affecting the livelihoods of communities in the Savannah Ecological Area, BLC is committed to conserving and protecting the shea landscape through reforestation and restoration projects of shea parks and investment in stoves. energy efficient for shea communities.
To learn more about our Shea sustainability initiatives, visit our Shea Dashboard and Shea Projects Overview and learn more about the Where Life Grows campaign here.
About the Shea Processing Plant
The processing facility is a fully automated solvent fractionation plant that processes raw shea butter made from locally harvested and ground shea nuts into two main products: Shea Olein and Shea Stearin. Shea stearin continues to be processed at our facilities in the Netherlands, Malaysia, the USA and Canada to produce ingredients that can be used in many food and non-food applications. For example, Cocoa Butter Equivalents (CBE) are used in chocolate confectionery products.
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