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Sustainability & Impact Committee

Committee Overview

Driving Long-Term Environmental & Social Value

The Sustainability & Impact Committee spearheads environmental protection strategies, community livelihood programs, and measurable impact frameworks across global shea supply chains.

By partnering with local cooperatives, conservationists, and international brands, the committee ensures climate resilience, ethical sourcing verification, and equitable empowerment for millions of women collectors.

Core Focus Areas

Parkland Conservation

Protecting shea tree ecosystems, combating deforestation, and promoting natural regeneration.

Women's Empowerment

Scaling economic inclusion, financial literacy, and safe working conditions for collector cooperatives.

Impact Measurement

Deploying robust metrics to track carbon offsets, livelihood gains, and ethical sourcing compliance.

Committee Responsibilities

  • Design and monitor comprehensive guidelines for sustainable shea collection and land stewardship.
  • Evaluate community development initiatives and ethical sourcing verification metrics.
  • Coordinate climate adaptation training programs across rural harvesting communities.
  • Forge strategic alliances with environmental NGOs and international climate funding bodies.

Key Deliverables

  • Annual Global Shea Sustainability & Impact Report.
  • Community Livelihood Assessment Framework and cooperative toolkit.
  • Parkland Protection and Agroforestry Best Practices Guidebook.
  • Impact Investor Alignment Dashboard tracking ESG commitments.
Committee Leadership

Chair & Lead Counsel

Fatoumata Traoré

Fatoumata Traoré

Committee Chair & Impact Lead

Fatoumata Traoré has spent over 18 years advancing rural agricultural development and women's cooperative empowerment across West Africa. She coordinates sustainability strategies, climate resilience initiatives, and stakeholder ESG integration.

Contact Committee Chair
Committee Roster

Technical Working Group Members

Comprising sustainability officers, environmental scientists, and cooperative representatives.

Committee Roster Forming

Full member roster nominations are currently underway in coordination with the General Assembly. Confirmed delegates and technical expert profiles will be published here upon final ratification.

Committee Updates Feed

  • Parkland Restoration Grant Initiative Launched

    New multi-region funding window opened for community-led tree planting and parkland protection projects.

    May 10, 2026

  • Women Harvester Cooperative Survey 2026

    Initial data collection completed across 45 primary cooperatives to measure income resilience metrics.

    Apr 22, 2026

Committee Documents & Guidelines

  • Sustainability Framework & Metrics Handbook PDF • 5.1 MB • Version 3.0
  • Climate Resilience & Agroforestry Guidelines PDF • 3.4 MB • 2026 Edition
Session Summaries

Recent Meeting Outcomes

April 12, 2026 Session

Expansion of Ethical Sourcing Verification Metrics

The committee finalized updated ESG indicators for brand members to seamlessly report on smallholder supply chain transparency and fair wage distribution.

February 25, 2026 Session

Agroforestry Training Module Integration

Approved the rollout of climate-smart harvesting modules tailored to assist women collectors in mitigating seasonal rainfall irregularities.