In the Agago district of Northern Uganda, as in most of rural Africa, cooking is done outside over an open fire. Hence trees are cut, especially the precious wild Nilotica trees we harvest to produce our shea butter. However, the Nilotica trees serve a crucial role for animals, insects and other plants and bushes. In addition, Nilotica roots and their shade keep the moisture in the soil and prevent the savannah from turning into an arid and lifeless desert. Although the government of Uganda recently forbade the cutting of nilotica trees, not much has changed.

Likewise in the Himalayas, wild Apricot trees are felled for use as cooking fuel, leading to massive landslides. In the Amazon trees are logged down for timber extraction, agriculture, mining, and infrastructure development. These activities contribute to deforestation, which has significant environmental impacts including loss of biodiversity, disruption of ecosystems, and release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

We have also partnered with the leading charity organization Ecologi which is planting trees all over the world and will plant trees for us in Uganda.