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AbstractThe shea industry is a catalyst for the economic empowerment of women engaged in this sector. However, we do not know the extent to which women actors are economically empowered along this value chain, and the factors impeding their empowerment. Addressing this is crucial to developing policies in advancing the economic empowerment of female shea actors. This study aims to assess the extent to which the shea industry economically empowers female shea actors. We utilized a convergent mixed-methods approach, gathering quantitative data from 384 female shea actors (including producers, collectors, and marketers) and qualitative data from 12 experienced older women in the industry, making an overall sample of 396. The qualitative data underwent thematic analysis, while the quantitative data were subjected to the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the level of economic empowerment among the three groups of shea actors. We found significant differences among the three groups of shea actors (χ2 (2) = 75.266, p = 0.000). Collectors had a mean rank of 236.60, marketers had a mean rank of 131.24, and producers had a mean rank of 205.31; showing economic empowerment varies among the shea actors. However, they face challenges of inaccessibility to land, finance, and markets, as well as inadequate storage facilities that affect their operations. We recommend that the shea actors join or form groups to increase their access to loans, and control over prices, while development agents (both statutory and non-statutory) must improve access to lands, finance, and storage facilities.

Abstract Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn) is a fruit tree of domestic and industrial importance in arid and semi‐arid regions of Sub‐Saharan Africa. Fruit set is largely dependent on insect pollination but recent studies have revealed a pollen deficit. The introduction of managed bees into orchards is an effective approach for enhanced pollination services in temperate climates. However, there is limited information to guide the adoption of this practice in agroforestry parklands. This study investigated the effect of managed honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) on fruit yield of shea in six parklands across three regions of Ghana. Tree proximity to the apiary had a detectable effect on fruit set within a 500 m range of the apiary. Proximity of shea trees to apiary was significantly related to number of immature fruit set but not number of mature fruits. Fruit weight and size were not significantly related to distance from apiary or pollination treatment. This implies that the introduction of beekeeping has the potential to address shea pollination deficit at least within a 500 m range of the apiary. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal hive density per acreage of shea parkland to maximise pollination services.

This article pays attention to the gendered resource struggles and changing division of labor of the feminized shea fruit in Burkina Faso. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore how the increased demand for shea has affected gendered natural resource access and divisions of labor in the local. Shea, often described as 'women's gold', is one of few natural resources which women control harvest, processing and earnings. The increased demand for shea on the global market has therefore been presented as a benefactor for women's economic empowerment in Burkina Faso. Yet, studies have pointed to that women seem to be sidelined in the shea commodity chain. This study explores how gendered natural resource struggles are formed in the local shea commodity chain by departing from three principles of gender analysis, access and control, labor division and subjectivities. The data was collected through ethnographic fieldwork in the two rural villages of Boessen and Tonogo in Burkina Faso. The analysis sheds light on the particularities in how men's shea practices form masculinities and rearrange gendered labor norms. The study moreover shows how contestations of male involvement is done by targeting manhood and labor norm perceptions. Male involvement both re-produces hegemonic masculinities where male shea control delimits women's income possibilities. Whilst it also shapes alternative masculinities which embraces cooperation and joint decision making within households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) is an important fruit tree crop because of its oil used for cooking and the industrial manufacture of cosmetics. Despite its essential benefits, quantitative trait loci linked to the economic traits have not yet been studied. In this study, we performed association mapping on a panel of 374 shea tree accessions using 7530 Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) markers for oil yield and seed-related traits. Twenty-three SNP markers significantly (−log10 (p) = 4.87) associated with kernel oil content, kernel length, width, and weight were identified. The kernel oil content and kernel width had the most significant marker–trait associations (MTAs) on chromosomes 1 and 8, respectively. Sixteen candidate genes identified were linked to early induction of flower buds and somatic embryos, seed growth and development, substrate binding, transport, lipid biosynthesis, metabolic processes during seed germination, and disease resistance and abiotic stress adaptation. The presence of these genes suggests their role in promoting bioactive functions that condition high oil synthesis in shea seeds. This study provides insights into the important marker-linked seed traits and the genes controlling them, useful for molecular breeding for improving oil yield in the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic erosion of shea trees, which has been on-going at an alarming rate, has necessitated urgent conservation attentions. Owing to the vast geographical distribution of the species across Ghana, in situ germplasms conservation was established by tagging and monitoring selected trees annually. Technologies have been developed that enable shea germplasms to be grafted, allowing for the development of germplasm banks at the research station of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, Bole. However, before these materials could be used in crop improvement programs, there is a need to evaluate them for key fruit traits relevant to the global shea business. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the tagged in situ shea trees for fruit and nut traits. Freshly harvested shea fruits were evaluated for their brix, pulp yield and kernel size properties to see if there was the needed diversity for crop improvement gains. Eight key traits were studied, with all showing significant difference, with high broad sense heritability and genetic advance for all the traits, indicating the potential for genetic gains in breeding programs. Qualitative analysis classified the fruits into five shapes, ellipsoid fruit shape was the most frequent observation (69.5%), while oblong was the least represented (1%). Fruit surface pubescence indicated that the surfaces without hairs (smooth) were slightly higher in number (52.6%) than the surface with hairs (rough), which were 47.4%. Pearson correlation studies showed a positive significant relationship between kernel weight and fruit weight (0.68), fruit length (0.48), fruit width (0.51), pulp weight (0.5) and shell weight (0.77). Key components responsible for total variations observed were decomposed from the first two principal components (PC), which cumulatively explained 78.4% of the total observed variation within the materials. PC1 alone contributed 46.4%, while PC2 contributed 32%. Fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, pulp weight, nut weight, shell weight and kernel weight were contributing traits to variations observed in PC1, while brix and percent pulp contributed to the variations observed in PC2. Percent kernel to nut ratio contributed to the variations observed in PC3. Clustering of the germplasms showed no regular pattern based on location or any particular trait, indicating a high level of diversity at 58% of the Pearson dissimilarity index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry parklands are an age-old traditional land use practice that integrates crop cultivation under scattered woody plants. This practice is widespread in West African savannas providing many essential ecological and socio-economic benefits to people such as food, fuelwood, and medicine. Currently, parklands are decreasing due to changes in agriculture and land use practices, often associated with human population growth. Understanding spatial patterns as well as identifying reliable methods of sampling to estimate the density of woody plants is necessary for the sustainable management of parklands. In this study, a comparative analysis of select plotless sampling methods was performed using field and simulated datasets with known spatial patterns from field assessments. Results of spatial indices tests indicated that woody plants in parklands exhibited two spatial patterns: i.e., aggregate and random, the latter being the dominant pattern observed in field datasets. Based on relative measure statistics (i.e., RRMSE and RBIAS), the ordered distance (OD), point-centered quarter (PCQ), and closest individual (CI) methods performed well when woody plants were located in a random pattern while the variable area transect (VAT) method was better at estimating density under patterns of spatial aggregation. Overall, OD and VAT methods are recommended for density estimation in parklands because they are relatively more accurate, less biased, and practical and computations are easy to undertake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) is an essential tree crop with great potential economic value mainly because of its seed oil (shea butter) which is of high demand for manufacturing assorted products in food, cosmetic, and rubber industries. Propagation of this species is, however, hindered by relative unavailability of seed (nuts), erratic seed germination, a long vegetative phase, and latex exudation from cuttings. Thus, another method of propagation through in vitro culture is recommended for rapid multiplication of shea genotypes for large-scale cultivation. In the present study, the effects of two cytokinins, namely, 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin (KIN), and one auxin, namely 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), on shoot and/or root induction in vitro were asses sed at various combinations/concentrations. The inclusion of these growth regulators in the culture medium significantly improved (P

Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) is an important fruit tree crop because of its oil used for cooking and the industrial manufacture of cosmetics. Despite its essential benefits, quantitative trait loci linked to the economic traits have not yet been studied. In this study, we performed association mapping on a panel of 374 shea tree accessions using 7530 Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) markers for oil yield and seed-related traits. Twenty-three SNP markers significantly (−log10 (p) = 4.87) associated with kernel oil content, kernel length, width, and weight were identified. The kernel oil content and kernel width had the most significant marker–trait associations (MTAs) on chromosomes 1 and 8, respectively. Sixteen candidate genes identified were linked to early induction of flower buds and somatic embryos, seed growth and development, substrate binding, transport, lipid biosynthesis, metabolic processes during seed germination, and disease resistance and abiotic stress adaptation. The presence of these genes suggests their role in promoting bioactive functions that condition high oil synthesis in shea seeds. This study provides insights into the important marker-linked seed traits and the genes controlling them, useful for molecular breeding for improving oil yield in the species.

Following the incidence of environmental change globally and its negative consequences on livelihoods of local populations, vulnerability assessment has become central to mitigation and adaptation response in the global south. However, researches on vulnerability to climate change in the African continent have seldom focused on Indigenous Fruit Trees (IFTs) although they are an essential part of the strategic forest resources and livelihood systems of local communities. This paper explores the vulnerability of two IFTs, shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) and dawadawa (Parkia biglobosa) to climatic and other stressors that are not directly linked to climate change in rural Ghana and the implications for planning. The paper analyzed vulnerability from farmer perspectives elicited through a mixed study design involving the use of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods and a household survey. The results reveal that IFTs are highly vulnerable to drought, rainstorms, bushfires and charcoal production and less vulnerable to heavy precipitation, flash floods and sand mining. Such vulnerability arising from the combined effects of multiple stressors has led to a decreasing trend in production and yields of IFTS over the past few decades, adversely affecting livelihoods of rural women and households. To reduce vulnerability, it is an imperative to promote Environmental Change Adaptation Planning (ECAP) that prioritizes conservation and propagation of IFTs, and diversification of rural livelihoods.

Genetic erosion of shea trees, which has been on-going at an alarming rate, has necessitated urgent conservation attentions. Owing to the vast geographical distribution of the species across Ghana, in situ germplasms conservation was established by tagging and monitoring selected trees annually. Technologies have been developed that enable shea germplasms to be grafted, allowing for the development of germplasm banks at the research station of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, Bole. However, before these materials could be used in crop improvement programs, there is a need to evaluate them for key fruit traits relevant to the global shea business. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the tagged in situ shea trees for fruit and nut traits. Freshly harvested shea fruits were evaluated for their brix, pulp yield and kernel size properties to see if there was the needed diversity for crop improvement gains. Eight key traits were studied, with all showing significant difference, with high broad sense heritability and genetic advance for all the traits, indicating the potential for genetic gains in breeding programs. Qualitative analysis classified the fruits into five shapes, ellipsoid fruit shape was the most frequent observation (69.5%), while oblong was the least represented (1%). Fruit surface pubescence indicated that the surfaces without hairs (smooth) were slightly higher in number (52.6%) than the surface with hairs (rough), which were 47.4%. Pearson correlation studies showed a positive significant relationship between kernel weight and fruit weight (0.68), fruit length (0.48), fruit width (0.51), pulp weight (0.5) and shell weight (0.77). Key components responsible for total variations observed were decomposed from the first two principal components (PC), which cumulatively explained 78.4% of the total observed variation within the materials. PC1 alone contributed 46.4%, while PC2 contributed 32%. Fruit weight, fruit length, fruit width, pulp weight, nut weight, shell weight and kernel weight were contributing traits to variations observed in PC1, while brix and percent pulp contributed to the variations observed in PC2. Percent kernel to nut ratio contributed to the variations observed in PC3. Clustering of the germplasms showed no regular pattern based on location or any particular trait, indicating a high level of diversity at 58% of the Pearson dissimilarity index.

Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) is an essential tree crop with great potential economic value mainly because of its seed oil (shea butter) which is of high demand for manufacturing assorted products in food, cosmetic, and rubber industries. Propagation of this species is, however, hindered by relative unavailability of seed (nuts), erratic seed germination, a long vegetative phase, and latex exudation from cuttings. Thus, another method of propagation through in vitro culture is recommended for rapid multiplication of shea genotypes for large-scale cultivation. In the present study, the effects of two cytokinins, namely, 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin (KIN), and one auxin, namely 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), on shoot and/or root induction in vitro were assessed at various combinations/concentrations. The inclusion of these growth regulators in the culture medium significantly improved (P < 0.05) shoot/root regeneration over the controls. The highest shoot regeneration percentage (100%) was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 2 mg.dm-3 KIN + + 0.5 mg.dm-3 NAA or 1.5 mg @dm!3 KIN within 7/8 days of inoculation. This medium (2 mg.dm-3 KIN + + 0.5 mg.dm-3 NAA) showed the highest mean shoot length of 3.24 cm. Compared to KIN, BAP was more effective in inducing vigorous shoot growth. However, rooting was induced only on MS medium modified with 1 mg.dm-3 BAP + 0.5 mg.dm-3 NAA. These findings can serve as baseline information for in vitro, commercialscale propagation of shea tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn.) is a multipurpose tree species indigenous to the Sudano Sahelian zone of Africa and occurs as the most abundant economic tree species in northern Ghana. The edible oil (shea butter) extracted from shea kernel is ranked as the most economic product of the species. Although fruit set and yield of shea are known to be influenced by insect pollination, the actual contribution of insect pollinators to its reproductive success has rarely been studied. This study estimated the percentage insect pollinator dependence and monetary value of insect pollination per bag of shea kernel (85 kg) in the Guinea savanna zone. Open pollination and insect exclusion treatments were applied to the flowers of 18 randomly selected matured shea trees and observed from the onset of flowering to fruit maturity. Proportion of total production value attributed to insect pollination approach was used in estimating the monetary value of pollination per bag of shea kernel with the average market price as proxy. The study revealed an insect pollinator dependence of 77% and 73% for fruit set and dry kernel yield, respectively. Mean number of fruit set per inflorescence varied significantly between insect-excluded and open-pollinated inflorescences (p < 0.05). The monetary value of insect pollination was estimated at GH₵ 73.21 (US$ 18.67) per bag of kernel as of August 2016. Shea is a high insect pollinator–dependent species and the conservation of insect pollinators would be critical to the sustainability of yield.

Shea Vitellaria paradoxa trees bear fruit and seeds of considerable economic, nutritional and cultural value in the African Sudano‐Sahelian zone. In much of West Africa, shea exists within an agroforestry system referred to as 'parkland', where social changes, including migration, have resulted in expanding areas of crop cultivation, reductions in both the area of fallow land and the duration of fallow periods, and reduced diversity of habitats and woody species. Shea benefits strongly from pollination by bees and the loss of Parkland biodiversity may reduce the availability of pollinators, leading to pollen limitation and reductions in fruit yields.We investigated whether shea trees in southern Burkina Faso experienced pollination limitation, and whether local‐ and landscape‐scale diversity were linked to visitation by bees, the degree of limitation observed and the weight of fruit produced.Honeybees Apis mellifera were observed more frequently in diverse sites, whereas non‐Apis species were generally widespread but visited trees in greater numbers at diverse sites.We found that shea fruit production was significantly limited due to lack of pollination and that the degree of pollination limitation was greater in sites with lower levels of tree and shrub diversity.Synthesis and applications. Sites with greater diversity of tree and shrub species had more bee visits and less extreme pollination limitation than less diverse sites, indicating that small‐scale diversity is associated with more efficient pollination services. Consequently, shea yields are likely to benefit from retention of a range of different tree and shrub species in parklands. We recommend that when fallows are cleared for cultivation, such beneficial plants are retained within cultivated fields, and that measures to conserve pollinators in the region should target both A. mellifera and non‐Apis bee species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relegated to clinical afterthought, the topic of infection control has never taken center stage in our modern dental sedation and anesthesiology practices. Surgical and procedural masks, gloves, gowns, protective eyewear, and appropriate surgical attire have remained de rigueur in both fashion and custom for decades. However, the emergence of certain seminal events throughout health care history has driven mandated changes when practitioners, staff, patients, and the surrounding communities were exposed or put at risk of exposure to infectious disease. Hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus, and now the global COVID-19 pandemic involving the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, have forced us into rethinking our current practices. This review article will contextualize previous epidemics and their influence on infection control in dental settings, and it will explore the rapid evolution of current modifications to personal protective equipment and infection mitigation practices specific to sedation and anesthesia in dentistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn.) is a multipurpose tree species indigenous to the Sudano Sahelian zone of Africa and occurs as the most abundant economic tree species in northern Ghana. The edible oil (shea butter) extracted from shea kernel is ranked as the most economic product of the species. Although fruit set and yield of shea are known to be influenced by insect pollination, the actual contribution of insect pollinators to its reproductive success has rarely been studied. This study estimated the percentage insect pollinator dependence and monetary value of insect pollination per bag of shea kernel (85 kg) in the Guinea savanna zone. Open pollination and insect exclusion treatments were applied to the flowers of 18 randomly selected matured shea trees and observed from the onset of flowering to fruit maturity. Proportion of total production value attributed to insect pollination approach was used in estimating the monetary value of pollination per bag of shea kernel with the average market price as proxy. The study revealed an insect pollinator dependence of 77% and 73% for fruit set and dry kernel yield, respectively. Mean number of fruit set per inflorescence varied significantly between insect-excluded and open-pollinated inflorescences (p < 0.05). The monetary value of insect pollination was estimated at GH₵ 73.21 (US$ 18.67) per bag of kernel as of August 2016. Shea is a high insect pollinator–dependent species and the conservation of insect pollinators would be critical to the sustainability of yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn.) is a major parkland species occurring across Africa from East to West. Its fruits, butter, and further products from shea butter play key roles in the Sustainable Development Goals of poverty eradication, hunger elimination, and gender equity in many African regions. The inter-play of abiotic conditions (e.g. rainfall patterns, drought periods) and biotic interactions (grazing by large herbivores) shape parklands because they influence vital processes like photosynthesis, transpiration and biomass production of common plant species including shea. We measured gas exchange of shea seedlings grown under ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2), with and without competition of the C4 grass Cenchrus pedicellatus, and under different water availabilities in greenhouse chambers. We hypothesized that eCO2 will generally increase seedling growth in shea via increases in photosynthesis. When growing together with C4 grass at low water availability, we expect an improved competitiveness of shea under eCO2, beacuse eCO2 is reported to augment water use efficiency (WUEi) of C3 plants more than C4 plants. Increased CO2 caused a 10% (p < 0.001) increase in maximum light-saturated photosynthesis (Amax), 22% (p < 0.001) increase in WUEi and 13% (p < 0.001) increase in stem mass fraction (SMF) of shea. Grass competition significantly reduced Amax by 9% (p < 0.001), SMF (p < 0.001) by 19%, with a corresponding reduction in all biomass parameters, but also significantly increased the C/N ratio (by 3%, p < 0.001). Interactive effects of eCO2 and competition were recorded for maximum electron transport rate, dark respiration, stomatal conductance, CO2 compensation point and the leaf area ratio. The control of grasses in the early stages of shea development is therefore recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the way a local manifestation of the globalization process, the boom in the shea trade in western Burkina Faso, has fueled socio-economic differentiation in shea activity as part of a wider differentiation process. We refer to the gender politics and agrarian change literatures to inform both within- and across-household mechanisms of differentiation. We analyze both the mechanisms of change and the resulting inequalities. Our results reveal the interplay between multiple drivers of change, and nuance the analysis of the winners and losers of globalization of shea activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry parklands, characterized by scattered trees growing within cultivated crop fields, are the most widespread agricultural system in semi-arid West Africa. Agroforestry trees offer many ecological and socioeconomic benefits, such as added income, food, and medicine. They are currently under threat in this region due to recent changes in agricultural and land use practices. For example, a reduction in traditional fallow rotation periods has led to decreased regeneration of a common agroforestry tree, shea (Vitellaria paradoxa), which has been an important economic resource for women. The aims of this study were to determine beneficial spatial distributions of shea to maintain high yields of staple crops and to better understand male and female farmer perceptions of shea maintenance. We compared maize (Zea mays) vegetative growth, grain yield, soil moisture, and light availability associated with individual shea trees and clumps of trees on five farms in Ghanaian agroforestry parklands. We also interviewed local farmers to better understand their management perspectives. Maize vegetative growth increased with light availability, but was not limited by soil moisture. Conversely and contrary to farmer perceptions, grain yield was not influenced by light availability, but increased with increasing soil moisture. Also contrary to common beliefs of local farmers, grain yield was greater under clumps of shea compared to scattered distributions of individual trees. We therefore recommend the maintenance of clumped distributions of shea, as they provide beneficial microclimates for staple crops, and could assist in improving the productivity of shea products that are considered the domain of women farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on leaf and root density dynamics of the most dominant tree species (Vitellaria paradoxa) of West African savannas in two land use types (farmed land and forest). Ten trees located at least 100 m from each other were selected, with five trees each located in the field and in the forest. Five of the trees were of small-diameter [two in the fields (diameter at breast height or DBH 20.1-20.7 cm) and three in the forest (DBH 7.0-8.0-10.8 cm)] and five others were of large-diameter [three in the fields (DBH 38.2-81.8-81.9 cm) and two in the forest (DBH 20.1-20.7 cm)]. One near-vertical rhizotron was installed under each tree to evaluate root density while canopy openness, diffuse and directly transmitted light were monitored by taking hemispheric photograph monthly. After a two-year period of monitoring, the results revealed a strong seasonality in root density with peak root density observed during the rainy season in August and the lowest production during the dry season in April. Significant lowest canopy openness was observed from August to September while the highest occurred from March to May, which was found to be synchronous with fine root dynamics. The light interception followed the same trends as the leaf production. Furthermore, both mature and young trees showed significant higher root density in the fields compared to the forest while the mean values of all the parameters of canopy openness and light transmittance were higher in the forest than the fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs) in Ghana combine conservation and development objectives and were introduced in the year 2000. In some cases, they have connected collectors of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) nuts with certified organic world markets, which can be understood as a ‘market-based’ approach to conservation. This paper examines how the benefits of this approach are distributed and argues that shea land formalization is crucial to this process. It makes this argument by drawing on interviews within two communities bordering Mole National Park. One community accepted to engage with, and benefitted from this approach, while the other did not. The paper analyzes narratives from different actors involved regarding why and how the market-based approach was accepted or rejected. It shows that, contrary to the neoliberal principles that underlie market-based conservation, a utility maximization rationale did not predominantly influence the (non-)engagement with this conservation approach. Instead, it was the history of land relations between communities and the state that influenced the decisions of the communities. We highlight the role of traditional authorities and NGOs brokering this process and unpack who in the communities profited and who was left out from benefits from this market-based conservation initiative.

Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn.) is arguably socio-economically and environmentally the most important plant species in the semi-arid and arid zones of Africa where it is widely distributed. Apart from the economic gains in international export markets where shea butter is valued for use in luxury cosmetic, pharmaceutical and confectionary industries, locally the fat (butter) is the main cooking oil for over 86 million inhabitants. Research during the past decades has acknowledged the chemical and nutritional composition as well as the ethnobotanical uses of shea which has resulted in its butter being used in a wide array of products. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the morphological and genetic diversity; propagation, initial growth, and management; ecology and population structure; chemical and nutritional composition as well as the socioeconomic and livelihood empowerment potential of shea. Little is known about the fruiting behaviour and the responses of shea to the inevitable changes in climate. We suggest ecophysiological and dendrochronological studies as an option to predict how the domestication of this multipurpose tree species can be sustained even under the prospects of global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The potential for the development of shea industries to increase women's incomes is the focus of a number of development interventions in rural West Africa. However, concerns have been voiced over the potential effects of increased commercialization on women's rights over this resource. This study examines women's participation and rights over shea production in a context of increasing commercialization in northern Ghana through a survey of 90 producers and eight oral histories. Although shea incomes are frequently described in the literature as falling under women's control, joint spending decisions for shea income were reported by half of the married women surveyed. This does not appear to be an outcome of growing assertion of men's rights over shea trees themselves but rather is explained, by women, largely in relation to their husbands' involvement in nut production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional production of shea ( Vitellaria paradoxa ) butter uses large amounts of fuelwood. This study examines the effects of shea production on the environment by identifying the ecosystem service trade-offs due to the high fuelwood consumption. Fuelwood species inventories for different land use types and on-site plot-based standing biomass measured. We estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and changes in carbon stocks for different shea products in rural and urban settings. Results suggest that, processing of shea can cause a significant change of carbon stocks in the four study villages and result in the loss of carbon sequestration ecosystem services. For GHG emissions, rural shea butter processors emit 3.14–3.31 kg CO 2 eq/kg shea butter, while urban processors emit slightly less (2.29–2.54 kg CO 2 eq/kg shea butter). We identify trade-offs with several other provisioning (woodland products), regulating (erosion control) and cultural ecosystem services (religious and spiritual values). Such findings can initiate discussions about the hidden environmental and socioeconomic costs of current shea production practices. Potential strategies to enhance the sustainability of shea production include the adoption of improved stoves, sustainable fuelwood harvesting practices, parkland management, alternative fuels, and product pricing premiums to fund the adoption of cleaner shea processing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses an original integrated theoretical framework to reveal the mechanisms behind socio-economic differentiation in the changing patterns of access to shea in western Burkina Faso, in the context of globalization of the shea nut trade and internal migrations from both the Mossi Plateau and the Sahelian zone. Based on more than 200 interviews, we unravel the complex dynamic mechanisms of changes in access to shea. We show that negotiations result in reduced access to shea for late comers as well as for people with a limited number of shea trees in their fields, since areas where shea is managed as a common-pool resource are becoming less accessible. However, we also demonstrate that late comers are not powerless in the face of first comers' claims to shea. Our results should help policy-makers and project-based activities concerning shea to focus more on issues related to access to this resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the evolutions of the different needs related to the food and non food uses of conventional oil crops (palm, cotton, groundnuts), immerging and marketable oil culture (shea) as well as the domestic oil cultures (Canarium, safou). Africa accounts for about 6.5% of the total World production of palm oil. In the last few years palm oil has witnessed an evolution in Africa through the diversification of its uses. A lot has also been done on the use of palm oil as bio-fuels. The production of cotton seed oil has equally witnessed changes from press extraction followed by solvent extraction to direct extraction with pure solvents followed by neutralisation in an appropriate medium as major innovations. West Africa produces about 50% of the total groundnuts production in Africa. Small scale processing of groundnuts is more popular than industrial processing. This is justified by the diverse uses of the different groundnut byproducts. The most remarkable innovations concern the emerging oil cultures such as shea butter. In fact the incorporation of 5% shea butter in chocolate formulations has given an added value to shea. Techniques have been put in place for improving on the production methods and quality of the butter. The evolution in this sector is better illustrated by the putting in place of an indirect solar dryer and a vertical manual screw press. The big handicap that slows down evolution remains at the level of the transfer of technology to the rural milieu. Problems on the transfer preservation of Canarium were resolved by preserving them in appropriate media and conditions. Dried safou fruits can now be found in the market. This illustrates the appropriation of technology by small and medium sized enterprises.

By definition, “butters” are anhydrous and solid fats at room temperature. A lot of different crude fats and butters are available in Africa and other tropical countries, and their characteristics make often them interesting to valorise. This presentation will focus on a personal experience dealing with production and development of African butters. The production of butters and particularly the shea fat, is done by one of the two basic methods, roughly described as “traditional or modern”. The rural (traditional) vegetable oil extraction processes, which predominate the extraction technologies in many of the shea kernel producing areas, involve water extraction. This method often employs simple small sized and household equipments; it is based on aqueous extraction techniques to produce oil. The work is very hard but provides jobs, money and “consideration” to the women who are traditionally in charge of this work. Such a traditional method yields not more than 35% of the kernel oil contents and the product quality is often poor. It is obvious that a major contributing factor to the low yield is the treatment inability to adequately break the kernel cellular structures, a necessity to obtain an efficient oil/fat extraction. The “modern” methods involve the use of mechanical presses and organic solvents; although the methods are quite high-yielding (with extraction rates around 80%), they are reportedly difficult to perform because of the high latex content in the kernels: in fact the latex agglutinates and clogs the equipment or inhibits an efficient penetration of the extraction solvent. As we all know olein rich vegetable oils are globally abundant but commercial sources of vegetable fats, or “stearin”, are less common. Stearin is used in confectionery for chocolates, cakes, etc. and for margarine industries. The most developed and well-known source of stearin is cocoa butter; the development of this production is historical and is based on the “chocolate business” involving a lot of organisms and industries mainly located in “developed” countries. Beside this, other butters like Shea butter, Illipe, Kokum, Sal and mangoare available sources for substitutes in the production of cocoa butter improvers (CBI), equivalent (CBE) or substitutes (CBS). Other markets for Shea butter exist in the personal care industry; the main reason for this growing interest has been the recognition by the cosmetic industry and consumers of the Sheat butter therapeutic benefits (ultra violet light protection, antiinflammatory, moisturizing, regenerative, anti-eczema and anti-wrinkle properties) due to the presence of a significant fraction of unsaponifiable matters (3-15%) composed of many bioactive chemicals, e.g. triterpene alcohols, phenols, sterols and the poly-isoprenic hydrocarbons like karitenes. In this field of valorisation (cosmetics), the unsaponifiable content is a key factor. In 1992 on the demand of DESLOG company, ITERG worked and patented an interesting method of increasing the unsaponifiable content of Shea butter using cryogenic enrichment by fractionation at about – 30 °C. The final product called CRYOKARITENE (registered trade mark) can be enriched up to more than 50% of unsaponifiable and shows excellent dermo-cosmetic properties.

Mango, neem and shea kernels produce non-conventional oils whose potentials are not fully exploited. To give an added value to these oils, they were transesterified into biodiesel in a solvent-free system using immobilized enzyme lipozyme from Mucor miehei. The Doehlert experimental design was used to evaluate the methyl ester (ME) yields as influenced by enzyme concentration-EC, temperature-T, added water content-AWC, and reaction time-RT. Biodiesel yields were quantified by H NMR spectroscopy and subsequently modeled by a second order polynomial equation with interactions. Lipozyme enzymes were more tolerant to high temperatures in neem and shea oils reaction media compared to that of mango oil. The optimum reaction conditions EC, T, AWC, and RT assuring near complete conversion were as follows: mango oil 7.25 %, 36.6 °C, 10.9 %, 36.4 h; neem oil EC = 7.19 %, T = 45.7 °C, AWC = 8.43 %, RT = 25.08 h; and shea oil EC = 4.43 %, T = 45.65 °C, AWC = 6.21 % and RT = 25.08 h. Validation experiments of these optimum conditions gave ME yields of 98.1 ± 1.0, 98.5 ± 1.6 and 99.3 ± 0.4 % for mango, neem and shea oils, respectively, which all met ASTM biodiesel standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shea tree is a multipurpose tree crop indigenous to Sub Saharan African. The tree is highly cherished for the oil that is extracted from its kernels and used nationally and internationally in cosmetics, pharmaceutics and in chocolate formulations. The processing and sales represent significant income earning opportunities for rural women who are the main stakeholders in the production chain. Shea nuts and its products are listed among the top ten Non-Traditional Exports of Ghana. In Burkina Faso it is the fourth most important export crop after gold, cotton and livestock and makes a contribution of about 6 million USD to the national economy. Today the shea tree is the second most important oil crop in Africa after the palm nut tree. About 500 million shea trees grow in Africa which has the potential of producing shea nuts worth about 150 million USD yearly. This represents substantial earnings for the Sub-Saharan African economies when fully exploited. Shea trees grow in 21 Sub-Saharan African countries that can be grouped into 3 zones following their potentials for shea nut production per year: high production zone comprising of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda that have potentials of producing 70 000–300 000 tons per year; average production zone comprising of Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Guinea Conakry, Senegal and Togo with potentials of 10 000–70 000 tons per year and low production zones made up of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Niger and Sierra Leone with yearly production potentials less than 10 000 metric tons. Though semi mechanized and some few fully mechanized productions methods are employed in the major shea producing countries of West Africa, most of the rural women still used traditional processing procedures. Major importers of shea are European Union, Japan and the USA. The sector is still constrained by lack of mechanized processing in most localities, dwindling number of shea trees (due to bush burning, exploitation for wood, dependence on natural regeneration which is not very effective), lack of adequate technical and financial support to the sector and limited research on proper propagation methods that may shorten commencement of fruit production period from 10–15 years to about 3–5 years.

Research on agroforestry largely continues to ignore the significance of gender relations in shaping natural resource management processes. To contribute towards filling this gap, this study focuses on gender dynamics in Burkina Faso's centre-west region to examine how gendered knowledge and preferences affect the management and conservation of shea parklands. In-depth interviews and free-listing exercises with Gurunsi and Moose women and men from Léo, Lan and Prata reveal that despite a strongly gendered division of labour, women and men hold overlapping areas of knowledge about shea uses, yields and shea nut characteristics. Further, men and women farmers detailed the same management practices and factors guiding the selection and conservation of shea trees in cultivated fields. Similar fidelity levels (FLs) calculated from women's and men's responses show that top-cited uses, preferences and practices correspond across gender groups. This congruence is partly due to participants' personal experiences with the species, but also to knowledge sharing between the spouses that guides decision-making. Findings illustrate that the widely held assumption that men decide in matters of tree management overlooks the important contributions women may make to the process. The shea case suggests that intra-household knowledge sharing and collaboration may hold greater significance for achieving resilient resource management strategies than has been described in previous works on African agroforestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Market globalization has had only a weak impact on the regional shea nut supply chain in western Burkina Faso despite the boom in the shea trade and the arrival of leading foreign firms. We show that despite the fact that wholesalers have kept the shea chain locked in an oligarchic organization for the last 50 years, they still play an important role in the smooth functioning of the chain and in profit sharing down the chain to the rural poor. We suggest that development actors should consider shea traders and their role in the coordination of the chain more carefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is considerable potential for the shea industry (Vitellaria paradoxa) to contribute to the economic empowerment of women in the Sahel Region of sub-Saharan Africa. This article examines interventions in Ghana's Upper West Region at two different processing stages of the value chain, intended to facilitate women's participation in, and enhance the beneits accruing from, shea harvesting and processing. We use the responses of the nut pickers and butter processors to qualitative and quantitative ield research undertaken in 2010 to explore the constraints facing women's market participation. Results showed that mechanisms to link butter producers to markets and to sources of credit were key for the development of the shea value chain in a way that retains value locally and beneits rural producers. Complementary services also facilitated participation in the butter chains. For women to beneit, the ability to negotiate and inluence the terms of trade between producers and buyers is important. Such market initiatives and interventions must be considered in the context of time management of diverse livelihood strategies. Also, how inancial management and beneit sharing occur within households is sure to interact with the willingness of women to participate in new shea opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Shea butter is an ingredient of growing global importance in the multi-billion dollar cosmetic and confectionary markets. It does not share the same negative environmental impacts of fertilizer use and land use change as alternative vegetable oils and so has been considered an environmentally friendly substitute, yet little is known of its carbon footprint. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was undertaken to investigate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 1 kg of shea butter in cosmetic products. The LCA of the traditionally produced ingredient gave an emission value of 10.374 kgCO2eq per kg of shea butter in a finished cosmetic product. 75.4% of these were due to the burning of firewood in open hearths during the post-harvest processing (49.5%) and traditional extraction (25.9%) stages of the supply chain. Emissions were attributed using mass allocation to the co-products of the sheanut husk (33.8%) and kernel residue (30.7%) and had the effect of greatly reducing the perceived emissions of the shea butter highlighting the importance of finding useful functions for co-products. Shea production supports local economies and habitats and recommendations to reduce the carbon footprint of shea should retain these existing benefits. Three hypothetical low carbon alternative supply chains are tested here: 1) using stoves to reduce wood consumption by 25%; 2) using stoves to reduce wood consumption by 50% and; 3) mechanical extraction of shea butter. These scenarios were estimated to achieve around 19%, 37% and almost 20% emissions savings over traditionally produced shea respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Amid growing concerns about the perceived population decline of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) and locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) trees in the agroforestry parklands, this article explores the impacts of differing tree tenure regimes on their management and use. Using a case study of two communities in Northern Region, Ghana, the study shows that the differing institutional arrangements governing the ownership, access, and use of these two species have led to different sets of incentive structures that have contrasting effects on the management of these species. Shea, in general, seemed to fare much better than locust bean under the current customary regulations. The research finds that in the absence of proper incentives, old and dying locust bean trees might not be replaced by young ones, thereby further jeopardizing its population, and along with it a variety of benefits it accrues to these rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shea oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the seeds of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn.). It constitutes an important source of fat in food and cosmetics. Although shea oil can be marketed both locally and internationally, increasing demand worldwide for exportable products calls for their certification. Characterization of shea oil is one step towards developing its certification system. In this study, the physico-chemical characteristics of shea oil in different shea zones of Uganda were assessed. Samples of shea fruits were collected between the months of June-August 2007 in the districts of Pader, Lira, Katakwi and Arua representing Acholi, Lango, Teso, and West Nile shea zones, respectively. Seed oil was extracted by Soxhlet apparatus using n-hexane solvent and analysed for colour, refractive index, viscosity, oil content, acid value, peroxide value, saponification value, iodine value, α-tocopherols and fatty acid profile. Shea oil content, colour, refractive index and viscosity ranged from 41-54%, orange to orange-yellow, 1.670-1.690 and 2.4-2.8 cP, respectively. Acid and peroxide values ranged between 2.3-12.59 mgKOH/kg and 2.10 to 2.50 meq/kg, respectively. Saponification, iodine and α- tocopherols values were between 160 mgKOH/g and 192mgKOH/g, 39.21 I2g/100 and 41.37 I2g/100g and 26.3-44.4 mg/100g, respectively. Fatty acid profile for palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and arachidic fatty acids ranged between 6.52-8.12%, 28.65-30.94%, 55.54-57.63%, 6.18-7.79% and 0.65-0.90%, respectively. Although there was significant variation in the oil yield (P≤0.05), the physico-chemical characteristic and fatty acid profile showed no significant variation in the shea zones of Uganda (P≤0.05). The fact that physico-chemical characteristics of shea oil from the different shea zones of Uganda are comparable to other high value edible vegetable oils indicates its suitability as raw material for food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. This characterization is a bench mark for monitoring the quality of shea oil from Uganda and can be used to enhance its local and international trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysogeny has previously been described in the entomopathogenic bacteria of the genus Xenorhabdus. Screening of a X. nematophila prophage DNA library on blood agar resulted in the identification of a 5.7-kb locus that caused a haemolytic phenotype when cloned in Escherichia coli, but not in the E. coli sheA null mutant, lacking the SheA cryptic haemolysin. This locus exhibited similarity to lysis genes from lambdoid phages. In particular, it encoded a functional holin able to complement a λ Sam7 mutant. It is the second time that a locus encoding a functional holin is shown to reveal the SheA haemolytic phenotype in E. coli. The possible role of the holin in extracellular release of SheA is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

From 2016–2019, the West African Forest-Farm Interface (WAFFI) project engaged with smallholder farmers in northern Ghana to explore mechanisms to improve the influence of under-represented peoples, particularly women, in decision-making processes and platforms that affect their access to natural resources. Through a multi-phase process of participatory activities, including auto-appraisal, participatory action research (PAR) and facilitated knowledge exchange, villagers and researchers worked together to document and develop a better understanding of the challenges and changes facing women and men in the region to generate social learning. Among these challenges, the degradation of forest resources due to over exploitation, weak governance and conflict of use over shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa) were particularly important for women. The WAFFI approach created a scaffold for social learning that strengthened the capacity of local stakeholders to share their perspectives and opinions more effectively in multi-stakeholder forums and dialogue related to resource use and land use change initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]