Charcoal burning will destroy shea trees like illegal mining did to cocoa-Dev’t economist warns

By Mohammed Ibrahim Last updated Aug 20, 2025

A charcoal burner watches smoke from a pile of burning logs in Gulu, Uganda on May 27 2023. The burning of charcoal, an age-old practice in many African societies, is now restricted business across northern Uganda amid a wave of resentment by locals who have warned of the threat of climate change stemming from the uncontrolled felling of trees by outsiders. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

Shea trees and its nuts are exclusively Africa covering one million kilometers of parklands spanning Senegal in the west Africa to Sudan in the east Africa. In Ghana, Shea can be found in 8 regions with an estimated number of 9.4 million trees.

However, a Development Economist Mr Eric Banye said almost 500,000 hectares has been destroyed with five shea trees per week being destroyed. According to him, 80 to 90% of charcoal transported from northern Ghana to the southern part of the country are Shea trees.

Presenting current status of Shea industry at local organizing committee of Shea expo meet the press at UDS in Tamale, Banye cautioned Ghanaians not to allow charcoal destroyed Shea trees like illegal mining is destroying cocoa farmers.

‘Is easier to walk 10 kilometers to pick Shea nut than entering a galamsey pit’ Mr Banye said. According to him, about 40% of Shea are collected leaving huge in the bush.

While admitting reliable data collection challenge for Ghana, he attributed the low collection to people not seeing it as business, adding the number of women in Shea industry has been underestimated.

Other reasons accounting for low collection he mentioned include long distance and late fruiting. Mr Eric said if the county unearths business potential in the Shea sector, it will drive a lot of foreign exchange.

Ghana export over 70,000 tonnes of shea annually valued at $ 12.6 million dollars. He announced that over 80,000 participants across the shea value chain are expected to participate in the expo schedule at Morden city hotel end.

The theme for the expo is ‘Empowering Women and Youth Led-SMEs in Shea value chain’. It is also expected to connect about 150 business to business during the three-days period.