Relationship, governance, and upgrading opportunities in the Shea value Chain: a descriptive analysis from Northern Ghana
Date
2024
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Forests, Trees and Livelihoods
Abstract
This study explores the relationships between value chain actors in the
shea sector in Northern Ghana, the governance mechanism that pre vails, and the upgrading opportunities for upstream actors. The value
chain analysis (VCA) framework was the main analytical tool employed
for this assessment. Participating actors in the shea global value chain
were shea kernel producers, shea butter processors, aggregators, and
industrial processors and exporters of shea products. The results
showed that, although women shea upstream actors (especially shea
kernel producers) interface directly with aggregators, the relationship
is weak and restricted to spot buying, and arms-length market govern ance relationship. Although the upstream actors are enthusiastic to
upgrade their products, they are constrained by inadequate access to
requisite assets, resources, capabilities, and skills. The shea upstream
actors were confined to low value-adding segments and activities of
the shea-GVC. Industrial processors and exporters appear reluctant to
directly support upstream women processors to upgrade through
offering credits, technology transfer and skills enhancement.
Lowering barriers to upgrading opportunities in the value chain calls
for intervention of the government, and support from international
development organizations (NGOs), and midstream and downstream
actors. Government must create an enabling policy environment that
incentivize downstream actors to build capacities of upstream actors.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Global value chain, upstream actors, governance
Citation
To cite this article: Stephen Opoku-Mensah, Ramatu Mahama Al-Hassan & Martha Awo (19 Feb 2024): Relationship, governance, and upgrading opportunities in the Shea value Chain: a descriptive analysis from Northern Ghana, Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, DOI: 10.1080/14728028.2024.2314126