How a climate-smart shea company is empowering rural communities to plant more trees

Shea butter is vital in generating income for rural women in Togo. Recognizing the increasing global demand for this prized, nutrient-rich butter, one shea butter company ensures that communities can continue to benefit from shea for years to come. Central to their operation is a concerted effort to replant shea trees in Togo’s parklands.

The company, known as Label d’Or, has taken proactive measures to train rural cooperatives on organic and ecological principles, aiming to safeguard Togo’s invaluable resources. By purchasing shea kernels from these cooperatives, Label d’Or supports local communities and contributes to the preservation of the environment. The company then processes these kernels into shea butter in their climate-smart factory, where every step of the process considers the environment.

The resulting shea butter, produced with a focus on sustainability, is subsequently exported to American and European markets. Label d’Or’s commitment to ecological practices ensures that the final product meets the demands of environmentally-conscious consumers, setting a precedent for a more sustainable and prosperous shea butter industry in Togo.

ABOUT THE TRADE HUB
Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) is a five-year (2019–2024) program that improves private sector productivity and competitiveness through market-based approaches.

The program partners with U.S. and West African private sector firms to generate new private sector investment in key industries as a way to create jobs and increase trade within and between West African countries, and with the United States through greater utilization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

It is an integral part of and contributor to the U.S. Government’s Prosper Africa initiative, which is supported by USAID Missions across West Africa.