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cover of episode Why shea butter production could dry up

Why shea butter production could dry up

2025/5/5
logo of podcast What in the World

What in the World

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Anne Okumu
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Mick Crifferook
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Mick Crifferook: 全球对乳木果油的需求不断增长,市场规模巨大,预计到2031年将达到21亿美元。这主要是因为人们越来越青睐天然成分的产品。然而,乳木果油的生产正面临威胁,本节目将探讨其原因。 Anne Okumu: 乳木果油是一种珍贵的奶油状脂肪,产自非洲的乳木树,广泛应用于食品、化妆品和护肤品等领域,被誉为"女人的黄金"。它主要产自撒哈拉以南非洲地区的乳木带,包括乌干达、塞内加尔、多哥、尼日利亚和加纳等国家。然而,乳木果油的生产正面临威胁,主要原因是人们砍伐乳木树来制作木炭。在乌干达北部科博科地区,人们大量砍伐乳木树,因为乳木树木炭燃烧更明亮、更持久且更便宜。这导致乳木树数量急剧减少,严重影响了当地妇女的生计,她们主要依靠乳木果油贸易维持生计。 气候变化也加剧了这一问题。干旱和降雨减少导致农业歉收,人们为了生计而砍伐乳木树。此外,气候变化还导致乳木树开花时间延迟,进一步影响了乳木果油的产量。当地妇女担心乳木果油贸易的持续性,呼吁政府和相关行业采取措施保护乳木树。 尽管政府已下令禁止砍伐乳木树,但由于执法困难、距离遥远以及城市化进程导致的土地开发,该禁令难以有效实施。一些地方组织正在努力通过种植乳木树苗等方式来保护乳木树,但仍需更多努力来应对这一挑战。 Anne Okumu: 我使用乳木果油护肤和护发。乳木果油来自被称为乳木带的区域,横跨东非至西非,涵盖约21个国家。西非和东非的乳木果油在品质和价值上存在竞争。乳木果油贸易面临威胁,因为人们砍伐乳木树来制作木炭,这种木炭燃烧时间长,质量好且价格低廉。在科博科森林,我们看到大量的人们带着成袋的木炭离开森林,每隔10米就能看到一辆自行车或摩托车运送木炭。这严重影响了当地妇女的生计,她们主要依靠乳木果油贸易。气候变化也起到了推波助澜的作用,干旱和降雨减少导致农业歉收,迫使人们砍伐乳木树来维持生计。此外,乳木树开花时间也比以前更长,这进一步降低了产量。当地妇女呼吁政府和相关组织采取行动,保护乳木树,并帮助她们维持生计。政府已经发布了禁令,但由于距离遥远、执法困难以及城市化进程,禁令难以有效实施。一些当地组织正在积极行动,种植乳木树苗,试图弥补砍伐造成的损失。

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Shea butter, a rich silky fat loved for its versatility, is under threat. It’s a key ingredient in everything from moisturisers to pharmaceuticals, and it has a huge global market. The shea trees where it’s extracted from grow from West to East Africa in a vast strip known as the "shea belt".

BBC Africa’s Anne Okumu has been to visit the Mount Kei Central Forest Reserve in Uganda, an area which used to be lush with wild shea trees, but has now been turned into a near-barren expanse dotted with stumps. She tells us why people have been cutting them down, and what this has to do with climate change. We also hear about what is being done to protect shea trees.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Mora Morrison, Adam Chowdhury and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde