The shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) grows wild across the savannah belt of West and Central Africa, from Senegal to Uganda. Its fruit contains a large nut from which shea butter is extracted — a creamy, off-white fat that is solid at room temperature and melts on contact with skin. In the food industry, shea butter is used as a cocoa butter substitute in chocolate and confectionery, as a cooking fat in West African cuisine, and as a component in margarine and bakery fats.
Shea has enormous economic importance for rural communities in Africa, particularly for women who traditionally collect and process the nuts. The shea trade supports the livelihoods of millions of people. Shea butter is also widely used in cosmetics and skincare products for its moisturising properties.
How it's produced
Shea nuts are harvested from wild trees rather than cultivated plantations. The trees take 15 to 20 years to begin fruiting and can live for over 200 years, making conventional farming impractical. Fruits fall naturally from the tree when ripe and are collected from the ground, primarily by women and children in rural communities.
The traditional processing method involves de-pulping the fruit, boiling or roasting the nuts, drying them, cracking the shells, and then grinding and kneading the nut meat to extract the butter. This is labour-intensive work often done by hand or with simple machinery. Industrial processing uses mechanical presses or solvent extraction for higher yields. Efforts to plant and cultivate shea trees are underway but remain limited by the tree’s extremely slow growth.
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≈ Estimated from its category — typical for vegetable oils, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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