Projekt

This proposal for extension emanates from an ongoing project in Northern Ghana and Burkina Faso. The findings show that trade policies in the shea sector are confronted with challenges, however, there are emerging markets with great potential for partnership. The results also show that despite the great economic potential of shea, shea-producing households face considerable barriers and constraints yet it was found out that the non-farm sector with the shea showing prominence contributes the most to individual annual income portfolio. Thus, the livelihood strategies with inclination to non-farm income sources tend to be the most remunerative. Major factors that accounted for the choice of livelihood strategies among actors are education, access to shea, access to good roads network in shea communities and belonging to shea association or group. However, studies in the shea sector particularly policies, and politics in the second phase has been understood only at the global and national level whilst the governance structure was analyzed in the framework of Global Value chain. As a typical traditional sector reserved for women, enormous changes have occurred since the 1980s global reforms. These have brought modifications in the traditional models of production and governance thus putting the shea industry in the global market but also producing various interest groups. These changes have taken place in an era where the international community is calling for inclusive governance, delegation of power and local participation. To enrich previous studies, provide a deeper understanding and more comprehensive account to the sector, this extension phase uses the shea sector as a case study to broadly understand how local governance function within the complexities of decentralization given the cultural nuances that govern rural economies. The study will employ qualitative methods, seek secondary data sources and undertake document analysis in the shea sector to identify areas of local input.

• Dr. Stefan Schmid

  Universität Frankfurt am Main
  Zentrum für interdisziplinäre
  Afrikaforschung (ZIAF)
  Campus Westend
  Frankfurt am Main
  

• Dr. Martha Adimabuno Awo

  University of Ghana
  Institute of Statistical Social
  and Economic Research (ISSER)
  Legon, Accra
  Ghana