Fair Trade Shea Butter from Uganda
Due to the Ugandan charcoal industry, shea trees in are an endangered species. To save these tree populations and to guarantee fair wages to locals, our Fair Trade partner Nilotica started trading the nuts produced by the trees. Moo Yao – butter extracted from shea nuts – is a characteristic element of traditional Ugandan skin care. Soothing to the skin soothing and helping to prevent premature aging, shea butter is an valuable ingredient in our own products as well.
Fair trade for the preservation of Uganda’s shea trees
The shea trees in northern Uganda are threatened by the trade in charcoal – as charcoal is traditionally used for cooking in Uganda. The fair prices of our fair trade partner Nilotica for the shea nuts make the preservation of the trees more lucrative than their processing into cheap fuel. We are happy to pay women in northern Uganda a higher price than the market price for the traditionally handmade shea butter and have guaranteed stable purchase quantities for a long time. This stabilizes the standard of living of their families, children can go to school
Traditional production: from fruit to shea butter
To this day, shea nuts are harvested from wild trees. The harvest between April and June and the processing of the fruit is traditionally in the hands of the women, the oil is extracted from the seeds by hand. Traditional pressing is a special feature today, and shea butter is usually obtained in refineries using high temperatures and chemical agents. Although this results in a much higher yield than hand pressing, it reduces the quality of the butter obtained. In terms of shelf life, unrefined butter also has no disadvantages – despite the high heat in Africa, it can also be kept there for up to four years.
With “moo yao” to smooth, elastic skin
The African belief that the application of shea butter makes the warrior invisible in battle may not be so widespread today – adults still use shea butter to treat irritated skin. The anti-inflammatory effect is due to the allantoin. It stimulates cell regeneration and thus also wound healing. A natural anti-aging effect is achieved by the contained tocopherols, antioxidative vitamin E variants. The high content of fatty acids helps the skin to maintain its moisture balance – so shea butter can favour a smooth and elastic skin with regular application.