VALUE CHAIN INTERVENTIONS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON EMPOWERMENT OF SHEA ACTORS IN THE SAGNARIGU AND KUMBUNGU DISTRICTS OF NORTHERN REGION

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of value chain interventions on empowerment of shea actors in the Sagnarigu and Kumbungu Districts of Northern region. The study was conducted in the Sagnarigu and Kumbungu Districts of the Northern Region of Ghana. Close and open-ended questionnaires and personal interviews were all used in collecting data from 200 shea actors (shea nut pickers, shea butter processors and shea butter marketers) sampled for this study. The research reveals that, i. 43% of shea actors interviewed were illiterate this implies that they had no formal education. However, majority (40%) of the respondents recorded high level of empowerment whiles few of the shea actors recorded low level of empowerment. The shea actors had assets from their business due to the massive support received from both SNV and Sekaf Ghana Limited. ii. Additionally the study also revealed that, seventy shea butter processors had changed from manual processing to semi-mechanised technology thus, reducing the number of days used in processing shea butter. Generally there had been a significant change on empowerment levels now as compared with the state of empowerment before the interventions (credit, equipment, training and market linkages) started in the study area. iii. Further results indicate that more women are now able to participate in decision making process at both community and value chain level. The study recommends that, Government, Developmental Organisations and other actors should put much emphasis on skills development among actors in the shea value chain and Government, Developmental Organisations and other actors should take a clue from the SNV and Sekaf Ghana Limited by instituting similar interventions to help improve empowerment level of shea actors.