Lily Cole visits the Ghanaian producers of The Body Shop's shea butter
The
Tungteiya co-operative in Ghana is made up of 11 villages and more than
500 people, and is the largest ingredient supplier within The Body
Shop's Community Fair Trade programme. In 2011, the retailer ordered 450
tonnes of shea butter from the group.
The price paid by The Body Shop's programme includes a 'social premium' – a portion for investment in communities, allowing people to thrive, not just survive. The Body Shop ambassador Lily Cole visited the Tungteiya women to see how their business work..
A Tungteiya woman alternately adds warm and cold water to a bowl of rich liquid shea. The women sit together in the shade, hand-stirring the paste to release the butter, catching up on news and gossip and singing traditional songs – a very social part of the process. The butter gradually floats to the surface and is scooped off..
A Tungteiya woman clarifies shea butter over a fire, before it is filtered and scooped into a bowl to cool down..
Two Tungteiya women show Lily how to filter clarified shea butter. The processing requires extreme care and attention as the shea butter can be easily burnt or ruined during several stages of the process. In total it takes two full days to produce 25kg of shea butter..
A Tungteiya woman leaves the shea butter to cool in a traditional hut. When cool, the butter is scooped out and placed into a container before being stored in a round thatched hut. The huts remain cool throughout the year to ensure the shea butter solidifies....
Lily helps pounds the shea butter in preparation for packing into 25kg containers before being transported to The Body Shop factory. The 4ft poles are made of wood from local shea trees..
The Dimabi village gathers for a "derba" – a village party to celebrate Lily opening the new teachers’ quarters provided by the social premium. The new building provides suitable accommodation for teachers so they can stay in the remote village. In the past it has been hard to retain teachers in the village as living conditions are so tough..
Two Tungteiya women show Lily how to filter clarified shea butter. The processing requires extreme care and attention as the shea butter can be easily burnt or ruined during several stages of the process. In total it takes two full days to produce 25kg of shea butter..
A Tungteiya woman leaves the shea butter to cool in a traditional hut. When cool, the butter is scooped out and placed into a container before being stored in a round thatched hut. The huts remain cool throughout the year to ensure the shea butter solidifies....
Lily helps pounds the shea butter in preparation for packing into 25kg containers before being transported to The Body Shop factory. The 4ft poles are made of wood from local shea trees..
The Dimabi village gathers for a "derba" – a village party to celebrate Lily opening the new teachers’ quarters provided by the social premium. The new building provides suitable accommodation for teachers so they can stay in the remote village. In the past it has been hard to retain teachers in the village as living conditions are so tough..
Photograph: Hazel Thompson for The Body Shop
Paulina Opoku-Gyimah says: God Bless The Body Shop and Ambassador Lily Cole for the work they are doing in Northern Ghana..
i want to buy some of this organic shea butter
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