Do you know where you can find shea?
The shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), the source of one of Africa's oldest oils, is a tree found only in Africa, in a geographical range that stretches over 5,000 kilometers from the West to the East of the continent, from Senegal to Sudan, via 21 nations.
Shea butter is without a doubt one of the oldest edible vegetable oils created by man, having been used for millennia. There is archaeological evidence that shea orchards have been in northern Burkina Faso for 1000 years, and there is rising evidence that the shea kernel was known to the Egyptians for far longer. It is 6000 years old.
For centuries, famous explorers have reported on walnut cultivation. The nut would have been handed to the legendary Moroccan adventurer Ibn Battuta between 1349 and 1354, during his trek from the Sahara to Mali. A few decades later, it was the turn of the Scottish explorer Mungo Park to emphasize its significance in people's everyday lives. During his hunt for the Niger River's origins between 1795 and 1797, he would also detail his considerable trading. We owe the first known botanical sketches of the tree and the first effort to define the species to him in particular.
SUPPLY CHAIN
To meet our duties and promises, we need a steady supply of safe and high-quality raw materials. We advocate ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable sourcing while continuing to do ethical business with society.
Collectors organized into cooperatives in the zones—areas of Sikasso, Ségou, Kaye, and Koulikoro provide almonds to the factory. - ©Annie Risemberg
Collectors organized into cooperatives in the zones—areas of Sikasso, Ségou, Kaye, and Koulikoro provide almonds to the factory. - ©Annie Risemberg
Collectors organized into cooperatives in the zones—areas of Sikasso, Ségou, Kaye, and Koulikoro provide almonds to the factory. - ©Annie Risemberg
Collectors organized into cooperatives in the zones—areas of Sikasso, Ségou, Kaye, and Koulikoro provide almonds to the factory. - ©Annie Risemberg
ABOUT OUR SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORK
We have two distinct supply chains:
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Indirectly via traders: We procure shea kernels from traders who are part of the traditional supply chain
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Directly from the collectors: Women who gather and process shea kernels for procurement by Mali Shi
Mali Shi prioritizes direct purchase from women collectors through its own network, which is the main source of supply.
Mali Shi intervenes in the whole value chain, from kernel collection to butter processing, in order to greatly boost the incomes of rural women.
ABOUT OUR SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORK
We have two distinct supply chains:
-
Indirectly via traders: We procure shea kernels from traders who are part of the traditional supply chain
-
Directly from the collectors: Women who gather and process shea kernels for procurement by Mali Shi
Mali Shi prioritizes direct purchase from women collectors through its own network, which is the main source of supply.
Mali Shi intervenes in the whole value chain, from kernel collection to butter processing, in order to greatly boost the incomes of rural women.
Mali Shi's objectives
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To increase Mali Shi’s network productivity.
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To continuously improve raw material quality (shea kernels).
- To collaborate with partners and establish organizational structuring initiatives through training, equipment assistance, and storage infrastructure.