Empowering women and boosting exports in Guinea’s shea sector
Even though Guinea produces a lot of shea, its exports were once limited. Now the country is making strides towards premium quality and organic certification, improving livelihood for women. Through the ITC SheTrades West Africa project, thousands of women have joined global supply chains, improving their incomes while ensuring local market stability
Shea has long held untapped potential in Guinea. Traditionally, the country produced and consumed shea butter, but shipped no more than one container per year.
However, Guinea’s shea sector is making strides towards premium quality, organic certification, and international competitiveness while ensuring local income stability for women. The SheTrades West Africa project ran from 2019 to 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to improve women’s livelihoods. Although the project has officially concluded, but its lasting impact is only now becoming truly evident as businesses continue to thrive and drive economic growth in the region.
A standout success story is Aissatou Diallo, an entrepreneur and master trainer who is the new face of Guinea’s shea revolution. Founder of ASTOUB, a natural cosmetics brand, she began her journey driven by a desire to create economic opportunities for women in her community.
‘I saw that women in my village had no time for themselves. They were not financially independent, and shea trees were being cut down because the value of shea was not recognized. I wanted to change that,’ Aissatou explains.
Many women in the villages were turning to more lucrative but high-risk, life-threatening activities, like artisanal gold mining.
From low-grade to premium quality shea
Women worked under challenging conditions – with the shea butter process being labour-intensive and demanding.
To address these challenges, ITC SheTrades and agribusiness initiatives in West Africa – funded by the Korean government agency KOICA – implemented a comprehensive approach to improve product development for cosmetics. They targeted the local market, but also enhanced processing standards for premium quality and organic certification to compete internationally.
The intervention included training on premium-quality shea butter processing, organic harvesting practices, and certification management. It also involved distributing equipment to women’s groups to improve product quality and ease the labour-intensive aspects of production. Additionally, the initiative supported business development and supply chain management for small businesses and cooperatives, fostering efficiency and competitiveness.
Nearly 1,500 women were trained under the project, and 400 of them are certified organic shea producers. Those five organic-certified women-led groups are now selling directly to exporters, significantly increasing their incomes.
Aissatou Diallo: A champion of women’s empowerment
Through the project, Aissatou has become a recognized trainer in Guinea. Working for both the private sector and non-government ogranizations, she now trains women across Guinea.
Thanks to her knowledge of multiple regional languages, her ability to gain other women’s trust and commitment, and her entrepreneurial spirit, she has trained more than 950 women since the end of the project, increasing their income and access to international buyers.
Meanwhile, she continues to expand her own business, producing organic skincare products for the local market.
‘The impact has been life-changing,’ Aissatou says. ‘Women now see shea as a real business, not just a side activity. Children are back in school because their mothers can now afford tuition. The difference is clear.’
Shea as a catalyst for economic growth
The impact of the SheTrades West Africa project extends beyond individual businesses. Guinea’s organic certification efforts have attracted foreign investment, including a French investor building a large-scale shea processing plant to increase export volumes and value-added production.
‘This is just the beginning,’ says Aissatou. ‘My dream is to see Guinea become a leader in organic shea exports, creating jobs for over 10,000 women and establishing a sustainable shea economy.’
About the projects
Established in 2015, ITC SheTrades aims to create the right conditions and capacities for women to thrive in global trade.
SheTrades’ work is underpinned by the firm understanding that empowering women through trade requires firing up all levers in the trade and business ecosystem. In this regard, it provides women producers and traders with access to key knowledge, resources, and networks; support policymakers on inclusive policy reforms; and leverage public and private partnerships to amplify the impact of its work.
The SheTrades Initiative is a proud contributor to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
