Fair Trade Shea Butter from producers like Alaffia has the power to change lives of the cooperative members. Very specifically, Alaffia was formed to help West African communities become sustainable through the fair trade of indigenous resources, like shea. Women in West Africa have been excluded from the formal education sector which means they cannot read or write, making them less valuable as employees. However, a main component of the Alaffia Cooperative is empowerment so the women are acknowledged for their unique skills, traditions and knowledge and compensated accordingly. Alaffia pays 15-25% above market prices for shea nuts and the cooperative members receive a salary that is more than 4 times the average family income in Togo. Additionally, members receive full medical care, employment security and paid vacation.
Through direct involvement in the entire process — from gathering the wild shea nuts and crafting the butter, to distribution locally and abroad—Alaffia cooperative members receive fair and steady incomes. In addition, 10% of sales always go directly back to our community empowerment projects. The protective and emollient properties of Shea Butter are a huge benefit in skincare.
In addition to its commitment to Fair Trade, Alaffia also believes it holds other moral duties:
1. Moral Responsibility - help those who are poverty-stricken
2. Environmental Sustainability - poverty will only cease with environmentally sustainable materials, such as Alaffia’s shea butter
3. Social Sustainability - preserving and promoting cultural diversity
4. Economic Sustainability - using Fair Trade principles and local knowledge will lead to African economic independence
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