Beiersdorf is pleased to announce significant progress on projects currently underway in the West African countries of Burkina Faso and Ghana to empower women in the shea supply chain: to date, more than 4,000 women have participated in their trainings, for example through the Clean Cookstoves Initiative. In the process, women have learned to use local materials to build safer and more efficient alternatives to traditional cookstoves. They also learned how to protect their valuable source of income by managing shea parks; so far, 5,000 seedlings of the only shea tree have been planted.
Projects empower women and secure their source of income
" The feedback from the women who participate illustrates the positive impact our involvement has had on the ground. We are incredibly proud that the project has been so successful, despite all the challenges posed by the pandemic, and that we have been able to support these women in sustainable shea production through knowledge sharing and training. "The women gained access to microcredit through additional training in village savings and loan associations, which enabled them to invest in other business and commercial opportunities. The women gained access to microcredit through additional training in village savings and loan associations, which enabled them to invest in other business and commercial opportunities. " During our visit, we saw firsthand how women are directly applying their newly acquired knowledge, improving their lives and the well-being of their communities "adds Lisette Townsend.
Beiersdorf is empowering women in the shea supply chain in Ghana and Burkina Faso with several initiatives since 2019: It is an important part of our responsible sourcing programs, contributing to our Care Beyond Skin sustainability program and our Climate Care mission. In 2019, the Hamburg-based company has set a goal of supporting 10,000 women shea collectors in West Africa within five years. Shea butter, the "gold of African women," is a versatile moisturizer and an important raw material for Beiersdorf products, especially in body and lip care. The project is implemented by Beiersdorf in cooperation with the Swedish shea supplier AAK, and is supported by the German climate protection solutions provider First Climate and the Global Shea Alliance. All shea nuts are harvested in the wild from single trees widely scattered in the savannah and from farmland owned by local farmers. The planting of shea seedlings supports the farmer-controlled regeneration process by encouraging the natural germination of trees.
Sustainable emissions reduction through carbon insetting
In 2022, the company strengthened its commitment and leveraged other capable partners, First Climate and SustainCERT, to add another element to its existing commitment - "Carbon Insetting." " With this pioneering program, Beiersdorf will contribute to a sustainable reduction of emissions in its own supply chain" says Mike Hatert, COO of First Climate. The company managed the administrative process that led to the project's validation as a SustainCERT-recognized emissions reduction project. While local women previously used simple three-stone stoves fueled by firewood to pre-process shea kernels, they now use energy-efficient stoves they built themselves. These are 2.5 times more efficient than traditional stoves and can be used for both shea kernel processing and home cooking. This reduces the need for firewood and associated emissions. With a total of 11,000 stoves produced and used, the overall expected reduction in emissions - including private use of the stoves - is approximately 53,000 metric tons over a 5-year period. A total of 2,890 metric tons is expected to be reduced through the more efficient processing of shea kernels alone over the same period.
At Beiersdorf, we believe that it's the little things that make a big difference: the project gives women valuable skills to secure their livelihoods and support themselves and their families independently. It is also an example of Beiersdorf's commitment to supporting smallholder projects, such as those already in place for palm oil, while contributing to a more sustainable supply chain. " The results of this project are very promising and provide us with valuable insights on how to achieve our ambitious climate target of reducing Scope 3 emissions by 30 % in absolute terms by 2025 This is the first time that a company has been involved in the development of a new product," says Jean-François Pascal, Vice President, Sustainability, at Beiersdorf AG.
