Mobilizing Capital for the Shea Value Chain in West Africa

Mobilizing capital for small- 和 medium-sized agricultural enterprises (agri-SMEs) in regions of the world perceived as high risk is an essential component of a just transition to sustainable 和 resilient agri-food systems. The benefits of investing in the shea sector in West Africa include potentially strong returns in a fast-growing sector, empowering communities 和 improving incomes—notably for rural women who traditionally harvest 和 process shea nuts, 和 safeguarding 和 restoring nature through climate-smart practices such as agroforestry.  

The deep dive included a multi-stakeholder webinar session featuring shea SMEs, 投资者, 研究人员, 和更多的. 本次活动的相关资源包括:  

• 简报备忘录(英语 和 法国) 
• 事件 记录  
• 演示文稿的幻灯片  

In t和em, agri-SMEs 和 投资者 were trained on how to use the 农业中小企业数字金融工具 – a platform to help facilitate the flow of finance between 投资者 和 agri-SMEs with the opportunity for users to create bespoke profiles, 后期资金申请, 进行尽职调查, 并相互联系.  

之后的活动和培训课程, the partners published a ‘Shea Sector Spotlight’ highlighting investment needs 和 opportunities for specific actors within the value chain in West Africa. 可在 英语 和 法国.  

Another aspect of the deep dive initiative was the facilitate networking sessions coordinated by the partners. Agri-SMEs, 企业支持组织, 和 投资者 were matched via email for 1-1 networking opportunities with suggested discussion topics 和 meeting outputs. 为会议做准备, the organizers developed a portfolio of shea sector stakeholders that profiled all the organizations 和 companies participating in the virtual networking opportunity. 投资组合可在 英语 和 法国.  

The multi-faceted deep dive initiative wrapped up in January 2022, with connections made between value chain actors 和 a clear set of next-steps to help further strengthen the opportunities for investment in the shea sector in West Africa. 合作伙伴对此次活动表示:   

• 水务署很乐意与技术部门合作, finance 和 SME entrepreneurs to highlight the role of agribusiness in facilitating a flow of finance that will secure 和 stabilize value-chains 和 deliver multiple benefits 和 shared value" - Ruth Thomas, Director, Global Agribusiness Action on 公平的生活 (GAA-EL), WBCSD
• “Strengthening the SME ecosystem is a critical component in driving a just rural transition, creating local jobs 和 connecting rural communities with international markets, 同时建立有弹性的全球供应链.  深究牛油果行业, an agroforestry crop used in food 和 beauty products both in the region 和 across the world, 建立了牛油果企业社区吗, 投资者和支持组织, 并将需求变为现实, challenges 和 opportunities in scaling investment in agri-SMEs more broadly.  We look forward to building on this collaboration to scale finance for inclusive 和 people-centered food systems.”  - Victoria Crawford, Senior Manager, Investment Partnerships, Just Rural Transition 
• “与水务署的合作, 公正的农村转型, 和 Acacia Advisors helped put the spotlight on investment opportunities present within the shea industry in West Africa. The GSA looks forward to building on this initiative to bridge the existing financing gap in the sector, delivering economic growth 和 climate outcomes for the region.” – Marie Veyrier, 发展 Director, Global Shea Alliance 
• "This exciting initiative has brought together some promising Shea sector enterprises with 投资者.  We now need to build on this 和 develop a stronger ecosystem of service providers 和 other actors around these crucial connections to make sure that more of these matches occur 和 lead to capital reaching the places that it needs to go for the benefit of local economies in underserved rural areas." – Martin Paulson, Director, Acacia Sustainable Business Advisors 

To learn more about this continued work on strengthening investment opportunities for agri-SMEs in global value chains, 请联系 梅勒妮·莱文，餐饮部经理 & 农业、WBCSD.