Much of the shea collected, consumed and sold locally goes unrecorded, leaving the work of collectors and women processors poorly reflected in industry statistics.
Rising or falling recorded volumes do not necessarily mean harvests have changed, making it harder for governments and businesses to plan.
A new industry report is planned for 2027, but funding remains unsecured and existing national figures capture only part of the market.
How much shea does Africa produce? Across the 5,000-kilometer shea belt, a band of savanna extending across more than 20 countries in West, Central and East Africa, the industry still lacks reliable figures for total output and how much is harvested and sold.
“We don't have a clear picture of total production or how much of it is actually collected,” said Anaïs Chotard, an analyst at N'kalô, an independent agricultural market information service.
Why Shea Production Is Difficult to Measure
Unlike crops grown primarily on commercial plantations, shea comes largely from naturally regenerated trees that farmers leave standing in cultivated fields and fallow areas. These landscapes, known as agroforestry parklands, combine scattered trees with crops and o...