Akoma Cooperative

Fair Trade is has been defined as “…an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability.”  The movement has allowed humans in developing nations to receive a higher price for their goods and handicrafts, as well as, afford higher social and environmental standards than would come with mass production and lower prices.  Buying cosmetics or other products from companies like Akoma (http://www.akomacooperative.com/Shea_Butter.html ) puts the money into the hands of villagers who can use it to supply their children with an education, or to provide medical care to their people.

Shea Butter is the fat extracted from the cold compression of the African Shea tree seeds.  This wonderful product has uses that are industrial, cosmetic, and medicinal in nature.  Traditionally, Africans used the Shea Butter for primarily for cooking and in medicinal compounds.  As more and more Western traders began to receive Shea and analyze its properties it became highly prized and lauded for its cosmetic uses.