Global Value Chain Analysis Of SHEA Butter Production In Ghana

One of the major catalyst to be able to export goods either in raw form or finished is to be competitive on the global market,therefore Global value chain is a major driving force for globalization that promotes integration.Shea butter production in Ghana is a non-traditional agricultural export commodity.This research focused attention on how the Shea butter industry in Ghana looks like and how it participates in the Global value chain.It looked at exploring the constraints facing the industry along the chain and it discovered ways and means to improve upon the chain actors in the Shea butter production industry.Theoretically the concept of GVC in Shea butter production focused on the chain actors,i.e,input suppliers,Producers,aggregators,processors,services,sales process,insurance/financing and the governance system along the chain.This theoretical approach was accompanied with practical recommendations for improving the process along the chain and also upgrades chain actors to meet international standards.This research took a qualitative scientific approach in gathering data.Purposively Primary data was taking through focus group discussions with chain actors,interviews with consultants along the chain and observation through the activities of input suppliers.Secondary data was taken from government agencies,published reports and work done by consultants.This provided a detailed organization of the Shea value chain and how the chain actors link to each other in the Global value chain.It also provided the level to which each chain is constraint.Practical recommendations were proposed and key among them is upgrading of input suppliers so as to affect the output of production along the chain.To boost export of Shea butter and its products required a deliberate policy only for the Shea butter industry in the area of standardization,with practical innovative approach.This research affords the Shea butter industry to strengthen its participation in the global value chain so as to increase the export of both Shea beans and its accompanied product by adding value through upgrading...