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17 Shea
Pages 302-321

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From page 303...
... Traditionally, this large and treasured species, not unlike oak in general appearance, provided the primary edible vegetable fat to peoples inhabiting an estimated 1 million km2 of wooded grassland. Early travelers observed that the cultures in that vast area -- which collectively extends through 13 of today's countries, from Senegal to Sudan and Uganda -- revolved around shea.1 One such traveler was Ibn Batuta, who passed through in 1348; another was Mungo Park, the first European to trace the inland flow of the Niger River, in 1796.
From page 304...
... Beyond shea butter, this tree produces edible fruits, edible flowers, medicines, and several other necessities. And it does it all without human help or horticultural support in some of the most challenging inhabited sites on earth.
From page 305...
... In years of poor production local market activity in notably affected. Women are the ones who collect shea nuts.
From page 306...
... Laws forbid anyone from destroying a shea, and in most West African countries a person found felling one is prosecuted. As a result, shea trees are traditionally preserved during land clearing and farmers guard and tend the existing specimens, many of which are privately owned.
From page 307...
... Furthermore, poverty often compels women to sell their shea products to agents who then sell them on to exporters, who in turn sell them to the international food or cosmetic industry. The women -- without whom shea products would be unavailable -- thus profit little from their weeks of hard labor.
From page 308...
... West Africans use its smooth-skinned, egg shaped nut much like Westerners use lard and butter. For a vegetable lipid this one is unusual in that it remains solid even in a tropical climate.
From page 309...
... Not only is the international demand rising, but the people living where shea grows are among the poorest and most desperate on earth. Any product capable of earning them an income and earning their countries foreign exchange is a critical resource.
From page 310...
... In this case, though, it is only in the dry areas of West Africa that it holds reasonable commercial promise. Parched locations in East and Southern Africa should try another crop if they want any commerce to eventuate.
From page 311...
... In fact, it was the traditional material for ancient kings' funeral beds, carved from the wood of a noble old shea tree -- a fact indicative of just how intimate and long the relationship between humans and shea has been. The wood makes good charcoal and fuel as well, although, because of its high value as a food, the tree is not felled for burning, even where fuel is in high demand.4 Cosmetic Uses Countless Africans use shea butter for cosmetic purposes, and these days the product is going global.
From page 312...
... Most often, a coat of the fat is applied seasonally around the dwelling's doors and windows as well as along the base of the outer walls. NUTRITION Nutritionally speaking, this tree is noteworthy for providing a storable food that can provide a steady source of dietary energy year-round.
From page 313...
... However, where people have tried planting the trees they have commonly employed a regular grid pattern with 10m x 10m spacing. Shea seeds germinate easily when fresh but lose this ability quickly.
From page 314...
... Foreign exchange is also earned: both seed-kernels and the butter are shipped to Europe and Japan, where they are processed into baking fat, margarine, cocoa-butter substitutes, and various highly touted beauty aids. (FAO photo/P.
From page 315...
... Of course considerable quantities of the kernels are also handled using modern methods. In Europe, especially, shea kernels are extracted using the expensive machinery designed for mass-processing other oilseeds: continuous screw press, filter press, and/or hydraulic presses.
From page 316...
... Experts have yet to find the reason behind shea's irregular fruiting cycle. It seems probable that the bush fires and the hot dusty wind called harmattan contribute to the flowers and buds dying prematurely.
From page 317...
... Approaches that have been suggested include herbicide control, physically removing the parasite from infected trees, killing the birds that pollinate mistletoe and disseminate its seeds, and boosting the populations of bird species that eat those particular seeds that land in the top of a shea tree. These and other possible methods need to be tested for safety and effectiveness, and quickly turned into practical controls.
From page 318...
... Increasing Output At least in theory, production could be vastly increased in one simple way: collect more of the nuts. Presently, the natural wealth of the shea tree is not fully exploited, and much -- even most -- of the wild crop goes unharvested each year.6 There are an estimated 94 million shea trees in Mali, for instance.
From page 319...
... Bambara: se, berekunan, tamba Burkina Faso: taanga (moore) English: shea, shea butter, butternut tree, bambuck or galam butter French: karité Dioula: karité ("life")
From page 320...
... Distribution Within Africa Shea occurs in the southernmost parts of the Sahel and the adjacent Sudan and Guinean savannas. Senegal is the western extent of its range.8 Dense stands are found from Guinea through Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
From page 321...
... However, the trees are most common and healthy where they receive 6001,200 mm and where the dry season lasts no more than 8 months. Altitude Shea grows generally at low altitude, although on Cameroon's Adamaua Plateau it ascends to 1,200 m above sea level.


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