Our Story
From a Handful of Cooperatives to a Global Alliance
What began as a small circle of shea processors and collectors uniting around a shared cause has grown into a 849-member alliance spanning 36 countries — here's how we got here.
A Timeline of Growth
Founding & Foundation
The Global Shea Alliance was established as a non-profit industry association to unite a fragmented value chain — bringing together a handful of processor and collector cooperatives with early commercial partners under one shared mission. Our founding mandate was to set the industry's first shared quality standards and give shea a single, credible voice on the global stage.
Founding Cooperatives → Industry Standard-SetterGrowth & Collaboration
Membership expanded across West African harvesting communities and into international cosmetic and food markets. We formalized governance through an elected Executive Committee and four technical working committees, launched the Action for Shea Parklands restoration initiative, and built warehouse and training programs that gave women collectors direct, fairer access to global buyers.
36 Countries · 4 Technical Working CommitteesGlobal Authority & Sustainability
Today, GSA represents 849 members across 36 countries — the recognized authority on quality, sustainability, and trade for the global shea industry. We lead the Action for Shea Parklands initiative to protect millions of trees, guide members through EUDR and traceability compliance, and support over 16 million women collectors with direct market access and transparent supply chains.
849 Members · 16M+ Women Collectors