AAK secures FairWild accreditation for shea-based emollients
The accreditation reinforces that the shea supply chain supports environmental conservation, rural livelihoods, and community development.
SWEDEN – Swedish cosmetic ingredient supplier AAK has gained FairWild Foundation accreditation for its shea‑based emollients used in personal‑care and beauty products.
This product‑level accreditation extends FairWild certification of AAK’s Kolo Nafaso direct shea‑kernel sourcing programme in West Africa to its Personal Care portfolio, making it the first personal‑care ingredients supplier to offer FairWild‑verified shea emollients.
Customers can now choose shea‑based emollients made from FairWild‑certified segregated shea kernels or from FairWild‑certified mass‑balance shea kernels.
Under the segregated model, certified shea kernels from Kolo Nafaso are kept separate at every stage of the supply chain and are fully traceable back to the programme.
Deborah Vorhies, CEO of FairWild, stated, “Recognizing the potential to significantly increase positive impact for women shea collectors through AAK’s mass balance model, FairWild is partnering with AAK to offer FairWild-certified mass balance shea products.”
“The strength and scale of the existing Kolo Nafaso setup ensure tangible conservation and livelihood benefits at source, while enabling a wider range of companies to support the programme who might otherwise be unable to do so due to supply chain constraints.”
Under mass balance, certified and non‑certified kernels are blended, but AAK ensures that the volume it buys from Kolo Nafaso matches the volume required to produce its shea‑based emollients.
This setup means brands can carry verified FairWild claims in their consumer communications, provided they are directly registered with FairWild.
Kolo Nafaso confirms the legal and responsible collection of wild‑harvested shea across about 400,000 hectares of West African savannah landscapes and directly empowers the families of more than 230,000 women shea collectors.
Because both segregated and mass‑balance purchases channel financing, training, and support into the Kolo Nafaso programme, women collectors benefit regardless of which model a brand chooses.
FairWild sees the mass‑balance option as a way to broaden participation, enabling more companies to support the programme despite supply‑chain constraints.
By tying certified shea all the way to its emollient range, AAK is setting a new benchmark for ethical, sustainable, and traceable sourcing of wild plants in the personal‑care and beauty industry.
Meanwhile, Beiersdorf and AAK recently deepened their collaboration to strengthen support for women in Ghana’s shea sector through targeted sustainability initiatives.
This expansion introduces practical training and infrastructure improvements to enhance livelihoods and environmental health in local communities.
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