Global Shea Alliance participates at in-cosmetics, trains women in Ghana

The Global Shea Alliance, co-founded by the USAID Trade Hub in 2011, participated at the In-Cosmetics international trade show and the Union for Ethical Bio Trade conference in Paris, distributing more than 100 annual reports and membership directories to shea butter distributers, brands, and development agencies from around the world.

AGOA opened the U.S. to  duty-free sale of more than 6,000 items (tariff lines) from African nations provided those countries conduct free and fair elections. Products from West Africa that have utilized the program include textiles, apparel, agricultural products such as cashews and shea butter as well as oil and gas.

A new enhanced AGOA Resource Center (eARC) is now serving the business community in Guinea, thanks to collaboration between the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, the USAID Business Environments for Agile Markets, the U.S. Embassy, Guinea’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Handcrafts and Guinea’s Ministry of Commerce.

Featuring an interview with Paul Brenton, the World Bank’s Trade Practice Manager for Africa, and a review of the success of the USAID Trade Hub’s access to finance strategy, the USAID Trade Hub’s monthly newsletter, Tradewinds, was delivered to more than 12,000 subscribers. www.watradehub.com/tradewinds

Business
The Global Shea Alliance has released a draft of its sustainability strategy for the shea industry as it prepares for the sixth industry annual conference March 4-6 in Abuja, Nigeria. The conference has already surpassed $100,000 in sponsorship support. The strategy places women’s livelihoods as its central focus and is available online at www.globalshea.com.

Bankers learn about USAID Trade Hub access to finance initiatives

80 finance experts discussed constraints that limit small and medium enterprises’ access to finance and learned about the USAID Trade Hub’s innovative work to improve access during a meeting organized by Ecobank Togo in Lome. The USAID Trade Hub’s work with the African Cashew Alliance, the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development and the West African Development Bank were the focus of a presentation by the USAID Trade Hub.

In October, Jackie Shaw, fashion director of Africa Fashion Guide, an online platform which promotes the supply chain of African fashion and textiles, participated in the first Ghana Fashion Week in Accra.

"This is the main launch of Ghana fashion and design week and it brought together quite a few designers and, media and quiet a huge crowd," Shaw said. "It was very exciting."

The handcrafts sector in West Africa is perhaps its most vibrant. Millions of people make handcrafts and skilled artisans generate income and create jobs thanks to their talents and abilities. The USAID West Africa Trade Hub launched AfricaNow! in 2009 to improve the sector’s competitiveness in world markets.