Local Preferences for Shea Nut and Butter Production in Northern Benin: Preliminary Results

Dolores Agúndez,Théodore Nouhoheflin,Ricardo Alía,Mario Soliño,Ousmane Coulibaly

doi:10.3390/f11010013

Dolores Agúndez, Théodore Nouhoheflin + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010013

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Abstract

Shea products in Benin (West Africa) are produced in a low-developed agroindustry, but they are estimated to be the country’s third largest export. The nut harvesting and quality guaranteeing in the butter process can only be achieved through improvements in the value chain, thus making it more attractive for stakeholders. The aim of this paper is to provide keys to a better product valorization, obtain a significant increase in household incomes based on shea butter marketing opportunities, and offer competitive products at the local and regional markets. Different markets were designed to catch processors and consumers’ preferences for two improved shea products: butter and nuts in Northern Benin. An open-ended contingent valuation (CV) was applied, and the willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to accept (WTA) were estimated by using a typical ordinary least squares (OLS) modelling approach. On local markets in Benin, the color, length, and weight of the nuts, as well as the color, smell, and texture of shea butter significantly influence, respectively, the processors’ willingness to accept and the consumers’ willingness to pay for a specific quality level. An increase in price would ensure the quality of the shea butter and would be covered by the premium to be paid by consumers. Certification design and the development of shea resources management and conservation programs should include ethnic preferences and consider gender, to avoid reducing women’s profits in the shea butter local market.

Highlights

IntroductionShea (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn, Sapotaceae) is one of the most important natural tree species of the Sudan–Guinean mixed open forest, in the green belt from Senegal to Ethiopia
The area of study was selected due to the high socioeconomic value generated by the shea tree in the Bembereké parkland and more precisely in the Kalalé municipality (Figure 1), where 27% of in the Bembereké parkland and more precisely in the Kalalé municipality (Figure 1), where 27% of the rural population is involved in the production and processing of shea products [26,27]
Even if the data were collected between November 2004 and February 2005, some main reasons maintain the research questions and the current results: Traditional organization and the shea butter chain have slightly evolved during the last years in the area [23]; the need to improve the quality of shea butter production for the market is still a challenge [13], as well as the pending development of price premiums for the supply of improved products

Summary

Introduction

Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn, Sapotaceae) is one of the most important natural tree species of the Sudan–Guinean mixed open forest, in the green belt from Senegal to Ethiopia. The shea tree has traditionally been preserved alongside cultivation because of the high socioeconomic value given to shea butter, the main product resulting from the processing of its nuts that has multiple food, cosmetic, therapeutic, cultural, and religious uses. This nontimber forest product contains 45–55% of a solid cooking oil above 33 ◦ C, and it means employment for over 18 million women collectors in Sub-Saharan Africa [1].

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