The livelihoods of millions of West African women is directly tied to shea nuts that come from trees that grow in a zone south of the Sahel. The nuts have been used for generations to make shea butter and shea oil, which have a multitude of uses, from lotions to soap to cooking oil. The export of shea nuts and shea butter has grown substantially in the last five years. Consumer demand for the natural cosmetics made with shea butter continues to grow as does demand in the specialty fats industry.