Annual Shea Industry Conference set for 2012

The 6th annual shea industry conference will take place April 23-27, 2012, in Cotonou, Benin, the Global Shea Alliance announced. The conference brings stakeholders together from across West Africa and around the world. Stakeholders network, share ideas, propose and negotiate business deals, and hear the latest on market trends, research, product development and technical advances. “Shea 2012: Shared Value” will take place at an exciting – and important – time for the shea industry: Demand continues to grow for the uniquely African product for both food and natural cosmetics uses while processing capacity across West Africa has surged over the past five years. www.globalshea.com

Borderless Alliance Regional Roundtable to Bring Stakeholders to Accra Nov. 9

Transport private sector stakeholders will participate in the Borderless Alliance regional roundtable to discuss advocacy priorities for the private sector and how the Borderless platform can help eliminate barriers to trade, on Nov. 9 in Accra, Ghana. The Alliance, launched in June, is helping private and public sector stakeholders understand – and mitigate – the impacts of checkpoints, bribes and delays on trade on West Africa’s primary trade corridors. High-level private sector companies will participate in the event. www.borderlesswa.com

Maison et Objet Features West African Home Decor Companies

Two export-read home décor companies from Mali and Senegal participated under the AfricaNow! brand in the summer edition of Maison et Objet, one of Europe’s premiere home décor shows held in Paris, France. Galerie Arte Dakar and Farafina Tigne exhibited their handmade furniture and home décor products at the show, which attracts buyers from around the world. The show connects African producers to buyers at high-end boutiques, a market segment that can be leveraged to increase the companies’ production capacity. www.africa-now.org

Ghana Urged to Adopt National Policy to Protect Shea and Cashew Trees

Ghana must protect and promote its shea and cashew trees, stakeholders agreed during a Ministry of Food and Agriculture consultation. The government sought stakeholders’ expertise to improve its effort to promote perennial crops. The African Cashew Alliance and the Global Shea Alliance, co-founded by the USAID Trade Hub and stakeholders across Africa and around the world, provided input to the government’s draft policy. Meanwhile, the Government of Ghana should speedily develop a national policy for shea, industry stakeholders said in a communiqué released at the close of a national meeting in Bolgatanga, Ghana. The Global Shea Alliance, co-founded by the USAID Trade Hub, presented on industry trends and opportunities. www.globalshea.com, www.africancashewalliance.com

Insights on Shea Featured at Sustainability Confab in London

Partnerships, certification and sustainability are critical to building a successful shea value chain, USAID Trade Hub Shea Advisor Dr. Peter Lovett told international service providers and food industry stakeholders at Sustainability in the Food Supply Chain in London organized by Foodnews. Participants across industries expressed interest and support for the Global Shea Alliance after the alliance’s work was introduced during a panel discussion on supply chain sustainability. Participants included UTZ CERTIFIED (one of the world’s largest sustainability programs for coffee, cocoa and tea, www.utzcertified.org), and the agribusiness giant, Cargill. Fair food (www.fairfood.org), certification coalitions like the ISEAL Alliance (www.isealalliance.org), ethical trade groups (www.ethicaltrade.org) and PricewaterhouseCoopers expressed support for the shea industry alliance. www.globalshea.com

Stakeholders at Borders Trained on Import/Export Best Practices

67 people, including importers, exporters, and members of transport unions, received training on import/export best practices and learned about an idea to implement “Express Lanes” to reduce delays at the border by expediting clearance of non-dutiable goods. The training, which included eight women, took place at Aflao, on the Ghanaian side of the Ghana-Togo border, where the USAID Trade Hub and public and private partners in the transport industry opened West Africa’s first Border Information Center in August. Ghana Customs, Ghana Shippers’ Authority and the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization collaborated with the USAID Trade Hub to organize the training. Information for traders on crossing the border is available at the Border Information Center and online.

Border Information Center Provides Assistance to Traders

About two dozen people seeking to move goods across the Ghana-Togo border have received assistance at new Border Information Centers at the Ghana-Togo border. The centers were launched in August by the USAID Trade Hub with public and private sector partners. Others called the centers for assistance: in Ghana, 18179 (toll free) and in Togo, +228 940 4359. The centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Information materials are available online, too.

Axle Weight Rules Cause for Concern

More than 100 stakeholders in Benin expressed concern over axle weight rules and the uniform enforcement of transport and transit policies across West Africa during a presentation of the Borderless advocacy platform and Borderless Alliance at a national shea industry conference in Cotonou. www.borderlesswa.com

AGOA Forum in Liberia Reaches More Than 150 Stakeholders

150 business stakeholders, including more than 85 women, learned more about the African Growth and Opportunity Act during Liberia’s first AGOA Forum organized by the U.S. Embassy and the Liberian Ministry of Trade. AGOA Services Manager Abou Fall presented on how Liberia can structure its economy by selecting high potential value chains and setting up a public-private framework to address challenges, define and implement an export strategy; and the key elements for export readiness. www.agoatoolkit.com

New Software to Help Cashew, Shea Farmers

7 international reporters learned about business software on smartphones that is allowing cashew and shea producers in Ghana to record the origins of the produce and obtain market information in order to sell at the best price. The USAID Trade Hub teamed up with SAP, the software developer, the African Cashew Initiative and the African Cashew Alliance to show reporters first-hand how the software works and how the cashew and shea sectors benefit from its use. www.globalshea.com and www.africancashewalliance.com

'National Approval Committees' Trained

The USAID Trade Hub assisted ECOWAS in training National Approval Committees from Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The committees were established to foster implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme. The USAID Trade Hub’s study of ETLS implementation in nine countries showed that none was fully implementing the scheme, which discourages investment and drives up the costs of doing business. www.borderlesswa.com