The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Diana Acconcia, has paid a working visit to the Bunge Loders Croklaan facility in Tema to get a better understanding of the shea business and learn more about the company’s operations in the West-African sub-region.

Ms Acconcia who was accompanied by some officials from the EU office in Ghana, was given a tour of the company's laboratory and control room to help them understand the day-to-day operational activities of the plant.

Ms Acconcia and her team had the opportunity to learn about the sourcing and crushing process of the shea nuts and subsequent processing of the shea butter into different fractions.

The team was also introduced to Bunge Loders Croklaan’s sustainability program, "Where Life Grows," which focuses on empowering women and future generations, creating socio-economic value at origin and conserving and protecting shea landscapes.

The facility which is located in Tema started operations in 2019, and is the company’s first shea processing plant in Africa. The facility is a fully automated solvent fractionation plant that processes raw shea butter made from locally collected and crushed shea nuts.

Currently, the facility provides employment to 73 people, most from the local community. It plays a critical role in strengthening Bunge Loders Croklaan’s infrastructure for processing and supplying high-quality shea products to its customers around the world.

Its strategic location not only allows for a more efficient production process, it also delivers on Bunge Loders Croklaan’s commitment to building a more sustainable supply chain for shea as it allows the company to meaningfully support and empower the local shea communities through the transfer of knowledge of value adding processes and by investing in local skills development.

Bunge Loders Croklaan

Bunge Loders Croklaan is a leading global producer and supplier of plant-based lipid ingredients for the food manufacturing industry. It operates as the global B2B edible oils business of Bunge Limited (NYSE:BG).

Its products are used in a wide range of applications, from bakery and confectionery to culinary and infant nutrition.