Skip to main content

Upfield Shea Sustainability Initiative to grow 6,000 trees in Ghana by 2023


Upfield, the global leader in plant-based nutrition has announced the launch of the first phase of its Shea Sustainability Initiative in West Africa, which will restore about 150 hectares of savannah parkland in the North East Region of Ghana.

The initiative is expected to grow 6,000 shea and other indigenous trees by 2023, an official statement issued to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra said Wednesday.

Upfield, the leading producer of plant-based margarines, spreads and cheeses, with more than 100 brands, announced the initiative as a strategic partnership with Ghanaian landscape restoration firm, Eco Restore.

The company produces well-known brands such as Blue Band, Flora, Rama and Violife, Proactiv, Becel, I Can:t Believe It’s Not Butter, Country Crock and Violife®.

Upfield's shea sustainability initiative is in line with the company's Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy and its Sustainable Sourcing Policy, said the statement.

The project will seek to create sustainable impact in the company's shea supply chain under three key pillars, including 'improving livelihoods', 'health and safety' and 'parkland restoration'.

Upfield will work with Eco Restore, to implement sustainability principles in its West African shea sourcing supply chain by implementing environmental protection and regeneration measures," it said.

"A significant piece of Upfield's ESG strategy is to enhance the livelihoods of small holders and plant-based entrepreneurs while preserving nature to ensure a better planet," it quoted Upfield's Global Director of Sustainability & ESG, Sally Smith, when speaking on the project.

This project will help communities maintain and improve their shea parklands, thereby supporting long term food security, sustainable food systems and economic development."

Managing Director, Upfield West Africa; Moses Bamidele Amao, said: "Our approach with this initiative is to work collaboratively with our indigenous communities; not only to plant the trees but to promote an appreciation for and a culture of preserving the shea parklands until it becomes the norm.

This in turn creates a ripple effect of sustainable practices in the communities where we source our food ingredients."
For his part, Executive Director Eco Restore, Peter Lovett noted: We are very happy to be partnering with Upfield on this very important sustainability project.

Read also: Eaton Ghana holds forum on power distribution solutions

As an organization that values and is committed to parkland restoration in West Africa, we see this partnership as a win for the community, the long-term resilience of the shea ecosystem in Ghana and the global customers of Upfield."

Earlier in the year, Upfield became a member of the Global Shea Alliance and a registered sustainability partner.

This means in addition to the company's Responsible Sourcing Policy and Human Rights Statement, Upfield's position on shea will be directed by the sustainability guidelines and implementation criteria laid out by the Global Shea Alliance.

The company's newly launched project will feed into the alliance's Action for Shea Parklands' initiative and Shea More Love' campaign, which are both aimed at promoting the sustainable development of the global shea industry.

The next phase of Upfield's Shea Sustainability project aims to create an enabling environment for the economic empowerment of hardworking Ghanaian women shea collectors and processors through the creation of viable cooperatives, business and financial literacy training, market transparency and good business practices," the statement said.

With its headquarters in Amsterdam, the company's products are in more than 95 countries and have 15 manufacturing sites throughout the world.

The company employs more than 4200 associates.

Eco Restore is a Ghanaian landscape restoration firm that aims to restore millions of hectares of savannah parkland across West Africa and owns nurseries in Tamale (capacity 50.000 seedlings, 50% shea), Nasia and Nakpanduri, whilst partnering with additional local nurseries in north Ghana.

Source: GNA

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nestlé Ghana Limited Wins Overall Best Industrial Company Of The Year at 13th AGI Industry & Quality Awards

  Nestlé Ghana Limited has been honored with four prestigious awards at the 13th Association of Ghana Industry and Quality Awards ceremony. The event, held in an esteemed setting, gathered prominent figures from Ghana’s industrial sector. Amidst the anticipation, Nestlé Ghana emerged as one of the evening’s notable winners, securing accolades in several key categories. This recognition underscores Nestlé Ghana’s relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation, marking a significant milestone that highlights the company’s substantial contributions to the manufacturing industry in Ghana. Nestlé Ghana's exceptional performance was acknowledged with the following awards: Overall Best National Quality Award, Diamond Category (Food) Overall Best Practices in Sustainable Manufacturing Best Company (Food Sector) Overall Industrial Company of the Year, affirming its status as a leader not only within the food sector but also across Ghana's entire industrial landscape. This success is a ...

Anglogold Ashanti Obuasi Mine tops 2024 Sustainability & Social Investment Awards

 AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has confirmed its status as sustainability champions by sweeping nine awards, the most won by a company at the 2024 Sustainability & Social Investment Awards (SSI) held at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. The feat comes on the heels of a dominant performance in last year's event where AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine swept seven awards. The SSI Awards organised by Ianmatsun Global Services recognizes the most outstanding sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives in the country and beyond as well as the best teams and individuals who brought them to life. This year's event, which was the 8th edition, was under the theme "Climate Action Now: Accelerating Decarbonization and Building Resilience". The awards won by AngloGold Ashanti on the night include SSI Company of the Year, Best Company in Women Empowerment (project), SSI Company of the Year ( Environment), Best Co...

Zoomlion Advocates Community & Gender inclusive waste management for Climate Action at COP 29

 Africa's waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited has advocated for an integrated approach to waste management that considers the interest of community members, women and vulnerable groups. James Deku, a Communications Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Limited made this call at the 29th session of the Conference Of Parties (COP 29) of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) at Azerbaijan, Baku whiles speaking on the topic "Community-Driven and Gender Inclusive approaches to waste management for Climate Action ". He said the waste sector is a major contributor of methane emissions which is a potent greenhouse gas causing climate change hence the need to manage waste in a manner that considers the interest of all stakeholders. Zoomlion's waste management model is designed and operated in a manner that considers the interest of all stakeholders. Through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, local authorities engage community members in clea...