The Global Shea Alliance’s “Action for Shea Parklands” (ASP) initiative, launched in 2020, aims to restore 4 million hectares of shea parklands across the Sahel. Through GROW, PROTECT, and PROMOTE interventions, ASP engages women, cooperatives, governments, and private sector actors. Women are central leaders in restoration, agroforestry, and advocacy, securing livelihoods for 16 million women while combating climate change and drought impacts.
Background
Shea trees, native to the Sahel, dominate 275 million hectares of parkland agroforestry systems across 21 countries along the Great Green Wall. These trees are crucial for ecological balance and community wellbeing. They store 1.5 million tonnes of carbon annually, improve soil infiltration, and mitigate drought impacts. Economically, they sustain 16 million women who collect, process, and sell shea products, with shea income contributing up to 32% of household cash.
Yet, the shea ecosystem faces mounting threats. The Global Shea Alliance (GSA) estimates 8 million trees are lost each year due to reduced fallow systems, agricultural expansion, charcoal production, and mining. Unlike other tree species, shea often falls outside forest protection laws because it is perceived as a “women’s crop.” This exclusion undermines conservation efforts and worsens vulnerabilities, as women and their families rely heavily on shea for food security and income.
Climate change intensifies these risks. For example, Burkina Faso endured three major droughts between 1991 and 2009, affecting 96,000 people, while in Togo, the shea-growing zone has experienced the country’s sharpest temperature increases (0.31°C per decade). As women travel farther to collect nuts and fuelwood, their workload grows, and local economies weaken.
Women’s contributions are nevertheless essential to sustainable land management (SLM). They cultivate diverse crops, replenish soils, and act as custodians of non-timber forest products. In Mali, women grow 60–70% of crop varieties, enriching soil health and food diversity. Women’s shea cooperatives in Burkina Faso, Benin, and Nigeria demonstrate how collective action secures land, enforces local by-laws, and promotes climate-smart practices.
Against this backdrop, the Action for Shea Parklands (ASP) initiative was launched in 2020. With a vision to restore 4 million hectares of shea parklands, ASP was designed as a multistakeholder and public-private partnership, centering women as leaders while addressing ecological degradation, climate resilience, and socio-economic empowerment.
Actions taken
The ASP initiative is structured around three main interventions:
1. GROW – Expanding tree cover and diversity
- Direct seeding and establishment of community nurseries for seedling production.
- Training local communities in assisted natural regeneration.
- Scaling up a shea agroforestry model that demonstrates the benefits of maintaining diverse trees on farms.
2. PROTECT – Improving management and governance
- Training in bushfire prevention, parasite control, and sustainable practices to keep trees healthy.
- Creation of community by-laws to regulate parkland use, involving women cooperatives, herders, charcoal producers, and traditional authorities. These dialogues ensure collective restoration and fair access to resources.
3. PROMOTE – Advocacy and behavior change
- Awareness campaigns discouraging tree removal.
- Local advocacy and participatory radio shows to mobilize communities.
- Policy advocacy at national levels to integrate shea parklands into legal frameworks.
Innovation and partnerships
ASP is distinctive for its public-private partnerships, bringing together companies, women’s cooperatives, local communities, and governments. Women collectors lead implementation, reinforced by the Abuja Declaration, which called for stronger support to protect shea parklands.
Concrete achievements (first 4 years):
- 901,211 shea and native trees planted.
- 18,666 hectares protected with support from cooperatives, private sector, and donors.
- A ban on shea tree-cutting in Ghana’s Gonja Kingdom, directly benefiting 300,000 people.
- Training and validation of agroforestry and grafting techniques.
Women’s involvement
Women drive restoration through farming, cooperatives, and advocacy. Examples include:
- Nigeria: 1,500 women adopted the agroforestry model; 63% replicated it on their farms, 93% shared practices.
- Burkina Faso & Benin: Women’s cooperatives secured land and implemented by-laws to restrict harmful practices.
- Ghana & Mali: Women lead tree nurseries, planting, fire prevention, and energy-efficient stove use.
Women champions such as Amanpulie Yakubu, Khadija Hassan, Sadia Neindow, Mamatou Djaffo, Félicité Yameogo, and Sanou Fatimata exemplify leadership in restoration, cooperative management, training, and international advocacy.
Challenges
- Security risks in the Sahel forced activities closer to villages.
- Gender barriers included lack of land rights, time poverty, and prioritization of men’s farms. ASP responded through group empowerment models, community engagement, and inclusive value chains.
Outcomes
ASP has generated ecological, economic, and social outcomes:
1. Ecological restoration
- Nearly 1 million trees planted and 18,666 hectares protected, contributing to carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
- Enhanced resilience of parklands through fire management, parasite control, and natural regeneration.
- Community by-laws have reduced destructive practices such as tree cutting and uncontrolled grazing.
2. Women’s empowerment
- Women are central to implementation, from nursery management to advocacy at national and international levels.
- Cooperatives in Burkina Faso, Benin, and Nigeria now enforce by-laws, secure land, and lead restoration efforts.
- Incomes are improving: shea generates over USD 200 million annually for women, providing vital cash during lean seasons.
3. Social capital and leadership
- Women leaders like Yakubu, Hassan, Neindow, Djaffo, Yameogo, and Fatimata mobilized thousands of women for restoration, training, and cooperative development.
- Women’s visibility in advocacy has grown, with representation at conferences and through the Abuja Declaration.
4. Replication and scaling
- The agroforestry model piloted with 1,500 women in Nigeria has already been replicated by 63% of participants, showing strong potential for scale.
- In Ghana’s Gonja Kingdom, advocacy led to bans on shea tree cutting, impacting 300,000 people—a scalable model of community-driven regulation.
5. Overcoming barriers
- Despite lack of land ownership and care burdens, women’s engagement was strengthened through cooperative structures and collective empowerment.
- The approach demonstrates that women’s leadership, when supported, can overcome systemic barriers while strengthening drought resilience.
6. Challenges acknowledged
- Security instability limited reach in remote areas.
- Structural gender inequalities remain, but ASP’s model has shown pathways for inclusivity, sustainability, and policy integration.
Overall impact
ASP illustrates how women-led, multi-stakeholder partnerships can restore ecosystems, strengthen climate resilience, and empower communities. It safeguards livelihoods, supports global shea demand, and enhances environmental services—making it a replicable model for integrated landscape restoration.
Lessons Learned
Women’s leadership is essential for sustainable land management. By placing women at the center of restoration, ASP strengthened both ecological outcomes and household resilience.
Multi-stakeholder partnerships combining cooperatives, private sector, and governments ensure sustainability and make the initiative replicable across the Sahel and beyond.
Community by-laws and participatory governance are powerful tools for scaling. They create ownership, reduce conflict, and enable long-term parkland protection.
Agroforestry models piloted with women farmers are rapidly replicated, proving their scalability and potential for widespread adoption.
Adapting activities to local security and social contexts is critical. Flexible approaches enable continuity even in fragile environments.
