Dora Torwiseh, a fourth-generation participant in Ghana’s shea nut industry, has turned her family’s legacy into a powerful tool for economic empowerment. As the CEO of Nuts for Growth (N4G), Torwiseh has tapped into the global demand for shea butter, a product with a projected market value of over US$3.5 billion by 2028. But for Torwiseh, this venture is about more than just capitalising on a growing industry—it’s about uplifting rural women in northern Ghana and creating a sustainable future for her community.
Torwiseh’s journey began in the small farming community of Tumu in Ghana’s Upper West region, near the Burkina Faso border. Growing up, she witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by rural women involved in the shea nut industry. Despite the economic opportunities presented by the shea trees that grew wild in the region, these women were often exploited by middlemen who offered low prices for their nuts, leaving them with little bargaining power.
The shea nut trade, however, provided a crucial source of income for Torwiseh’s family, enabling her to pursue an education. After completing her studies, Torwiseh secured corporate roles with companies like Nestlé in Accra—a significant achievement for someone from her background. Yet, despite her professional success, she felt unfulfilled, troubled by the persistent poverty in her home region and the untapped potential of the shea nut industry.
Driven by a desire to make a difference, Torwiseh quit her corporate job and returned to Tumu with a bold vision – to organise the local shea nut pickers, connect them with global markets, and build a sustainable business that would empower women and protect the environment. She began by going door-to-door, town-to-town, engaging with women in the community and encouraging them to work together to unlock the opportunities within their reach.
The journey was not without challenges – Torwiseh faced difficulties in securing international buyers, often arranging large quantities of nuts for potential clients only to be stood up. But her persistence paid off when she secured a Dutch buyer, now part of the US-based agribusiness giant Bunge. This breakthrough led to further partnerships with global companies like Cargill, significantly expanding N4G’s reach.
Today, Nuts for Growth connects over 80,000 women with global buyers, ensuring they receive fair prices for their shea nuts. Beyond market access, the organisation supports these women in various ways, such as providing financial assistance for land rentals, seeds, and equipment during the off-season, and supplying seedlings for growing vegetables, spices, and other crops. This holistic approach not only improves the women’s economic stability but also enhances the sustainability of the ecosystem they rely on.
Under Torwiseh’s leadership, Nuts for Growth has invested in critical infrastructure, including a storage warehouse and a processing plant that crushes shea nuts into crude butter. The company has also diversified its operations by sourcing soya beans from local farmers, processing them at its factory, and selling the products primarily in the domestic market. The factory boasts a combined crushing capacity of 450 tonnes per day for both shea kernels and soya beans.
Moreover, N4G has found additional revenue streams by exporting shea cake—a by-product of shea processing—to countries like Türkiye and China, where it is used as animal feed. This diversification has helped to stabilise the business and ensure its long-term sustainability.
