IOI Loders Croklaan first to make shea supply chain transparent

Global edible oils firm IOI Loders Croklaan launched a campaign showing that their Shea nuts supply chain from West Africa is transparent and sustainable. As a first in the industry, IOI Loders Croklaan teamed up with the Rainforest Alliance and invited them for a study into their Shea nuts supply chain.

The specific qualities of Shea make it a popular ingredient for chocolate confectionery, cosmetics and other products. Shea nuts are a wild crop, picked in the fields by women in rural communities in different countries in Africa, amongst others Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Mali. Being a wild crop, the collection of the nuts couldn‘t be certified against any sustainable agricultural standard.