The Global Shea Alliance (GSA) in collaboration with its partners will host Shea Day 2026 on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at the Jinapor II Sports Stadium in Buipe as part of this year’s annual Shea Month celebrations.
The flagship event is expected to bring together stakeholders from across the shea value chain to celebrate the importance of the shea industry and the millions of people particularly women whose livelihoods depend on it.
Organized under the auspices of the Ghana Shea Landscape Emissions Reduction Project (GSLERP), Shea Day 2026 will serve as a platform to recognize the invaluable contributions of women shea collectors and processors, showcase innovations within the sector and promote collaboration aimed at strengthening Ghana’s shea industry.
The event will also highlight the sector’s contribution to economic growth, environmental sustainability and rural development while encouraging greater investment and partnerships to secure the future of the industry.
The choice of Buipe as the host community underscores the strategic importance of northern Ghana as one of the country’s major shea-producing zones and acknowledges the critical role local communities play in sustaining the sector.
Several high profile dignitaries are expected to attend the event including the Buipewura Jinapor II, the Speaker of Parliament, the UNDP Ghana Country Representative, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission as well as traditional leaders, government officials, development partners, private sector representatives and members of shea producing communities.
A major focus of this year’s celebration will be the Action for Shea Parklands (ASP) initiative, launched by the Global Shea Alliance in 2020. The initiative seeks to protect and restore four million hectares of shea parklands by 2030 through three key pillars, promoting policies and behavioural change, planting 10 million trees and protecting existing parklands through sustainable land management, including fire prevention and community led conservation.
According to the organizers, Shea Day 2026 aims to strengthen stakeholder commitment to the sustainable growth of the shea sector while recognizing the women who form the backbone of the value chain.
The event is also expected to inspire collective action towards building a more resilient, inclusive and prosperous shea industry that continues to support livelihoods, create economic opportunities and contribute to environmental stewardship across northern Ghana.
