From Shea tree to sustainability: a story of impact and hope

Protecting Shea parks and preserving biodiversity

Every three seconds, someone reaches for an iconic L’Occitane en Provence hand cream. Behind this simple act lies a powerful story rooted in biodiversity, women’s empowerment and the fight against climate change. But the heart of this story – the Shea tree – is under threat. Native to the savannahs of East and West Africa, this remarkable tree produces Shea nuts, the source of a rich nourishing butter, but overexploitation, climate change and low natural renewal are placing immense pressure on this vital natural resource.

Women’s gold: a symbol of empowerment

Shea butter has long been called ‘women’s gold’, not just for its glowing benefits but also because it has helped to nourish, care for and empower several generations of women. Since the 1980s, L’Occitane en Provence has partnered directly with female producers in Burkina Faso and supported more than 6,000 women – nut collectors or Shea butter producers – organised into cooperatives. These partnerships go far beyond commerce. Female producers benefit from higher selling prices, jointly agreed upon each year as part of the fair-trade partnership. The aim is to ensure a fair distribution of value across all actors in the value chain. The brand champions traditional, organic methods, free from chemicals and pesticides. Drawing all its richness from a soil free of chemicals, the Shea tree can live for more than three centuries. The result? A product that not only nourishes your skin but also helps biodiversity thrive.

From harvest to hope

The efforts of L’Occitane en Provence have grown into a far-reaching initiative. Since 2009, the brand’s Shea butter has been fair-trade certified and sourced directly from four cooperatives in Burkina Faso and Ghana in West Africa. In 2016, a three-year collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) revealed that sourcing natural ingredients like Shea butter poses serious biodiversity challenges. This insight led to the L’OCCITANE Group’s first Biodiversity Strategy in 2021, focused on minimising harm and restoring ecosystems. This commitment was formulated through the Resilience, Ecology, Strengthening, Independence, Structure, Training (RESIST) programme, which was launched in 2018 as a €2 million, three-year mission to strengthen women’s livelihoods, promote sustainable practices and protect Shea parklands. Recognised as exemplary by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the RESIST program has shown that L’Occitane en Provence not only invests in fair trade but also in literacy, vocational training and entrepreneurship.

In 2024, L’Occitane en Provence launched a new project that goes beyond tree planting and regeneration, adopting a holistic approach to the ecosystem. Structured around three pillars – value chain, governance and forest management – over the next five years, the project aims to conserve, restore and/or regenerate 1,500 hectares of Shea collection areas. It takes a territorial approach, involving upstream stakeholders and supporting the development of a sustainable model for the collection, processing and commercialisation of Shea products.

By reimagining sustainability from harvest to hand cream, the brand is creating lasting impact for women, communities and the planet:

Preserving a legacy and protecting the future

Across more than 30 Fair for Life-certified Shea parklands, regenerative agriculture and agroforestry are thriving. Women have been trained in sustainable Shea tree management –including grafting and nursery techniques – to preserve the trees that support their communities. Modernised processing methods are reducing physical labour and environmental impact, while nut waste is being repurposed as an alternative fuel source. At the same time, women are diversifying their income through new economic activities that build resilience and long-term stability. Every hand cream purchased supports this growing movement that safeguards endangered species, biodiversity and the future of women and their environment.

Join the movement

L’Occitane en Provence invites you to be part of this legacy. Donate today to support the IUCN Red List and help protect endangered species like the Shea tree. Together, we can preserve nature’s iconic flora and fauna – the future of biodiversity is in our hands.