Shea Roaster Project - Supporting Climate, Women’s Enterprise and Health

Baraka Impact has partnered with evanhealy and Burn Design Lab, a nonprofit, to pilot a new and improved shea nut roaster that will deliver environmental impact, worker health and safety, and rural livelihood impact to the shea butter sector. 

The roasters, which were designed by Burn Design Lab and built in Ghana by local manufacturers, will be piloted at Baraka’s production facility in northern Ghana. 

Initial testing indicated they will create a:

• 90% reduction in wood fuel use when using shea cake residue as the primary source of fuel
• 70% reduction in harmful air pollutants/smoke for the users
• a circular economy impact by utilizing waste from the shea butter production process for fuel, and
• provide other health, safety and supply chain economic impacts

Baraka has previously partnered with evanhealy on improved shea nut roasters and this initiative with Burn Design Lab represents another significant step forward.  All three partners have long-standing commitments to environmental stewardship, livelihoods for rural women, and worker health and safety, all of which are addressed through this project.

Wayne Dunn, CEO and co-founder of Baraka said “Baraka is excited to be partnering with evanhealy and Burn Design Lab on this initiative that has the potential to further our collective efforts to support the rural women and communities who make our butters and oils and help reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact at the same time”

David Gordon, CEO and co-founder of evanhealy commented “Everything we’ve ever done with Baraka has had a measurable impact on the financial, emotional, and physical health of the rural communities we work with. This is one more step in building better.”

Jeremy Su, the lead engineer on the shea roaster project at Burn Design Lab, said, “We are very happy to partner with Baraka and evanhealy to bring our improved roaster technology to women producers of hand-crafted shea butter. We look forward to seeing the health, environmental, and economic benefits it leads to and we are thankful for their commitment to improving the lives of rural women and their communities.”

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