AAK sustainability report 2018

28 Responsible sourcing of shea Shea as raw material The shea tree is a wild tree growing in the shea belt, across Africa south of the Sahara. Shea is a very sustainable crop. The trees on which shea kernels grow require no use of fertilizers or pesticides. Traditionally, it is women who collect and process shea kernels. Part of the shea crop is sold, providing an important source of income. The women not only spend money earned to alleviate poverty and hunger, they also invest in their children’s education and other income-generating activities. AAK as market leader AAK has more than 60 years of experience sourcing shea kernels from West Africa. Working in close coop- eration with shea traders and women’s groups, AAK has built a solid and durable sourcing set-up across the shea production areas as well as logistical hubs in the coastal areas. In 2018, AAK’s supply chain in Benin and its production site in Aarhus, Denmark passed the ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) audit and received certification for the third time. The traditional supply chain for shea is long and complex, with many middlemen between AAK and the women in the bush. Many of these middlemen have a logistics function moving kernels from the rural areas to the bigger towns. It’s a well-functioning supply chain, providing an income to millions of people in West Africa. As market leader in the shea industry, AAK has taken responsibility and engaged directly with the women producers of shea kernels in our direct sourcing program called Kolo Nafaso. AAK publishes a shea sustainability progress report twice a year, including a dashboard that tracks progress on both our traditional and women’s groups supply chains. Contributes to: 28