Email: wacsir@uds.edu.gh / a.alhassan@uds.edu.gh
Contacts: +233 209 998 887 / +233 244 520 883

ABOUT (WACSIR)

The West African Centre for Shea Innovation and Research (WACSIR) is a Centre of excellence at the University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana. The Centre is located on the Nyankpala Campus. The activities of the Centre revolve around conducting cutting-edge and evidence-based research to enhance knowledge and influence policy at the local, national and international levels in the area of shea. With this, it is expected that effective policies will be implemented across shea dominated West African countries to boost local economy, particularly to empower women economically and to enhance macroeconomic balance through foreign exchange earnings. This is premised on the potentials that shea promises for the West African sub region, especially, to women and the youth.

The Center’s mandate is to:

1. conduct evidence-based shea innovation and policy improvement research
2. Improve the human resource capacity of institutions in shea innovation and value chain research within and outside the University,
3. Facilitate and coordinate support for research funding
4. Manage the implementation and execution of grants in the area of shea innovation and value chain research
5. Create a network and platform for broader interactions among agricultural researchers, policymakers
6. All other relevant actors in shea industry for policy advocacy.

WACSIR also seeks to improve the business incubation and innovations in the industry (e.g., reduction of shea maturity and fruiting period, improve shea collections and butter processing) to increase income of the rural households.

Key thematic areas include but not limited to: 

1. Marketing: Fair trade, Entrepreneurship and Finance;
2. Waste management: Innovation, environment and climate change;
3. Policy issues: Advocacy and sustainable industry;
4. Agronomy: the omics of the shea tree (Vitellaria);
5. Governance: Institutions, Gender and Equity

The Centre will communicate its findings through conferences, seminars and publications in reputable journals for academic audience. For non-academic audiences and policy makers, the Centre will publish policy briefs, newsletters and a biennial technical report of the shea in Africa

Mission

The Centre's mission is to promote and support sustainable innovations in the shea sector through evidence-based research and policy advocacy in order to improve the livelihoods of stakeholders.

Departments/Units of WACSIR

The Centre has three units. These are

1. Shea Breeding and Seedling Production Unit (SBSPI) Unit. 
2. Shea Policy Advocacy and Extension (APAE) Unit. 
3. Shea Value Chain Commercialization (SVCC) Unit.  

Goal and objectives of WACSIR

The goal of WACSIR is to improve the benefits from the shea value chain to all actors globally. 

Specific Objectives 

The specific objectives of WACSIR are to:

1. collect, plant and maintain a museum of different varieties of shea genetic resources
2. build the capacity of plant breeders to develop improved shea varieties   
3. conduct evidence-based shea innovation and policy improvement research 
4. improve the human resource capacity of institutions in shea innovation and value chain research within and outside the University 
5. facilitate and coordinate support for research funding, management of the implementation and execution of grants in the area of shea innovation and value chain research
6. create a network and platform for broader interactions among agricultural researchers, policymakers, and all other relevant actors in shea industry for policy advocacy.

Operational Activities and Strategies

The activities of the Centre include the following.

1. Research and Publications
   The WACSIR will use multidisciplinary approach to conduct cutting-edge research and publish the findings in reputable journals for academic audience. For non-academic audiences and policy makers, the Centre will publish policy briefs, newsletters. This will be done through collaborative research will all the industry players both locally and internationally. The Centre will also establish a journal of tree crops.
2. Training and Teaching
   WACSIR will organise regular capacity building trainings and workshops for shea value chain actors. Training needs will be identified through stakeholder engagements in order to develop a strategic approach to deal with such needs. With this, the Centre will be open to accepting adjunct or visiting professors or students for capacity building. We will open to collaborate with departments and faculties within and outside UDS to train postgraduate students as well as staff of any interested agencies in shea knowledge for mutual benefits. 
3. Agricultural Extension, Outreach and Policy Advocacy
   This will be achieved through organisation of conferences, seminars, field days, and study tours for shea value chain stakeholders to help them be abreast with the Centre’s different research activities. A biennial technical report of the shea in Africa will be published. Strong policy advocacy forum will be organised annually