Irene Franceline Mbouwe, has been recently at CIFOR-ICRAF office in Cameroon carrying out her internship and data collection for her dissertation thesis. Her research analyses the significance of the Shea butter value chain on rural household incomes, household food security and women's empowerment in Cameroon.
The study was conducted in the Northern region of Cameroon which is considered as the main production area of Shea trees. Focus Group Discussions (FDGs) was held with both Shea producers involved in Shea value chain and Non-Shea producers. Questionnaires were administrated to 384 respondents; mainly female-headed households, involved or not in Shea value chain using face-to-face interviews. The study will estimate the impact of Shea consumption on household food security using HFIAS indicators. It will also measure women’s empowerment through the WEAI index (Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index).
