Technology of production of Shea Butter and its influence on the Economic Efficiency in Ghana

Emefa Byll, BA

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Abstract The shea nut, described as "women's gold," is an understudied non-timber forest product found primarily in the semiarid regions of Africa. In regions where shea is grown, women primarily engage in processing shea kernels into shea butter, which has numerous commercial and industrial applications. Since shea processing has not received much attention in the academic literature, the purpose of this study was to answer several questions that would fill in some of the gaps while also bringing attention to the shea tree and the various processes involved in the preparation of shea butter. Specifically, the study examined the efficiencies of the modern and indigenous technologies used in shea butter processing, the applications of the waste generated during production, the challenges of production, the profitability of shea processing, and the value-added activities. Quantitative research methods and a literature review were utilised to investigate these issues. The quantitative methods comprised most of the study, with data collected through the administration of questionnaires to 103 processors in Ghana's northern region. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilised to analyse the data. The literature review specifically addressed the question regarding the uses of shea waste.The results showed that the extraction rate of shea butter using modern technologies is 40.21%, while the extraction rate using indigenous technologies is 34.85%. The results of regression analysis showed that the use of modern technologies, a dummy variable, increases the extraction rate by 5.357 units more than the use of traditional technologies, and this difference is statistically significant (P =.001). Regarding profitability analysis (return on investment), it was observed that processors who employ modern technologies earn approximately 10% more profit per unit of money (GH 1) invested than those who use only indigenous technologies. It was also determined that the use of modern technology resulted in approximately GH 62 more in gross margin than indigenous technology, which was significant (P =.001).A review of the literature revealed that there have been very few studies on the uses of shea butter waste; four uses were identified in the following fields: energy, poultry feed, brickmaking, and soil nutrient improvement. The main challenges of production ranked by processors included cost of kernels, firewood, health risks, and access to finance. In terms of value addition, only one activity was discovered: the use of a local plant extract to give shea butter a yellow hue rather than the usual grey colour. Given the massive amount of waste generated by shea butter processing and the environmental impact this has, the study recommended and elaborated on the use of shea butter waste for biogas production in Ghana.

Keywords

shea butter, indigenous technology, modern technology, profitability, biogas, Ghana

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 24. 4. 2023

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 29. 5. 2023
• Vedúci: doc. Ing. Vladimír Krepl, CSc.
• Oponent: Abraham Kabutey, doc. Ing.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme:
Agri-food Systems and Rural Development