Projects Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg
Shea Parklands, Benin
About
The Shea Parkland Restoration project in Benin combats resource depletion and conserves biodiversity, improving shea parklands with innovative planting and renewable energy, strengthening supply chains, supporting women’s livelihoods, and attracting sustainable investment.
Challenge
Shea picking in the Sahel, a key income source for rural women, is threatened by resource depletion, climate change endangering both local livelihoods and industrial supply chains.
Solution
The Shea Parkland Restoration project in Benin restores shea parklands through biodiversity conservation, parkland densification with innovative planting methods that allow earlier fruiting, and renewable energy.
Market
The initiative strengthens supply chains, improves women’s livelihoods, and attracts carbon investment and supply chain financing for long-term sustainability.
Story
Leveraging the Promise of Shea
In the heart of West Africa, the shea tree is more than a source of shea butter—it’s a lifeline for millions of women. Spanning over 300 million hectares across 21 countries, these trees provide income and resilience to communities. Yet, rising demand and environmental degradation, threaten this ecosystem and put the industry’s future at risk.
In this project in Benin, farmers plant high-quality grafted shea seedlings and restore degraded forests. These efforts not only increase shea production but also conserve biodiversity, sequester carbon, and strengthen local livelihoods. We are also installing energy-efficient cookstoves in shea transformation centers, cutting wood consumption by 60% while improving health and environmental conditions.
The impact doesn’t stop there. In partnership with the Global Shea Alliance, which has committed to restoring 4 million hectares of shea parklands by 2030, we are driving sustainable growth through improved shea processing methods, carbon-certified initiatives, and new revenue streams for farmers.
This initiative is about more than conservation and adaptation to climate change—it’s about empowerment. By restoring shea parklands, RLL is safeguarding a vital resource, strengthening communities, enhancing biodiversity, and tackling climate change. It’s a testament to the power of science and local action working together to create lasting, meaningful change.