What in the World - Why shea butter production could dry up

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Shea butter, a rich silky fat loved for its versatility, is under threat. It’s a key ingredient in everything from moisturisers to pharmaceuticals, and it has a huge global market. The shea trees where it’s extracted from grow from West to East Africa in a vast strip known as the "shea belt".

BBC Africa’s Anne Okumu has been to visit the Mount Kei Central Forest Reserve in Uganda, an area which used to be lush with wild shea trees, but has now been turned into a near-barren expanse dotted with stumps. She tells us why people have been cutting them down, and what this has to do with climate change. We also hear about what is being done to protect shea trees.

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Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Mora Morrison, Adam Chowdhury and Benita Barden
Editor: Verity Wilde

Published on Monday, 5th May 2025.

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