Birds, Bees & Fairtrade Business

Our commitment to achieving Toitū Envirocare net carbonzero involves supporting high quality carbon credit projects from New Zealand and beyond. One that we have chosen to support is an international Fairtrade project called "Birds, Bees & Business".

Protecting Biodiversity & Empowering Women

Each year, millions of migratory birds travel from the Netherlands to the Sahel in West Africa, where they share their winter habitat with shea trees—whose nuts are harvested to produce shea butter for skincare and food products globally. Eddy Zoëy and Lauren Lewis joined ICCO Cooperation and Vogelbescherming Nederland to witness firsthand how restoring the Sahel’s biodiversity supports both people and wildlife.

The Value of Shea Butter

Known as "women’s gold," shea butter is a versatile product used in food and cosmetics, generating income for local women who harvest and process it. Increased global demand for shea butter creates a unique opportunity for women to sustainably grow their incomes.

Sustainable Landscapes & Improved Livelihoods

Birds, Bees & Business focuses on habitat restoration, benefiting people and wildlife alike by enriching the landscape with native plants, improving pollinator populations, and ensuring shea production remains sustainable. To help women reduce wood use, the project provides fuel-efficient cookstoves that reduce harmful smoke and environmental impact.

Community Benefits & Lasting Impact

By participating in this project, women gain new income opportunities, improve cooking practices, and contribute to a thriving environment. Training through a Climate Academy teaches sustainable practices like planting diverse tree species, attracting pollinators, and increasing crop yields.

Our donation goes towards providing cookstoves that enable women to reduce wood consumption, allowing for the regeneration of the trees. In addition, education about tree planting, boosting pollination and agriculture, offers future generations of women a chance for a sustainable income.

We're proud to support this project which restores landscapes, enriches biodiversity, and ensures a thriving environment for both people and wildlife.

Find out more about Birds, Bees & Business and how it supports sustainable development in Burkina Faso: https://www.birdsbeesbusiness.nl/en