Organizational and economic analysis of the value chain for handmade soap from Carapa procera DC. oil in Burkina Faso

Description of the subject. Carapa procera is an oil tree that is widely grown in Burkina Faso. Its high socio-economic potential could contribute to the diversification and increase in sources of income for local communities. Objectives. This study aimed to analyze the value chains of handmade medical soap made from C. procera seed oil and to assess potentials for improving the local economy. Our analysis is limited to organisational and economic dimensions from this value chains, in particular on the creation of added value and its distribution between the principal actors which make it up. Method. An inventory of oil products from 29 local markets and interviews with 104 operators were conducted in Kenedougou province and other production localities in Burkina Faso. Results. The value chains of handmade medical soap included at least 283 operators with 574 activities including seed collection, primary transformation of seeds into oil, secondary transformation of oil into soap and trading of soap. Seventy-three percent of operators were members of an organization and 71% of the relationships between operators were based on contracts. The margins were 0.08 (sic).kg(-1) of seeds for seed collectors, 1.79 (sic).l(-1) of oil for primary transformators, 1.42 (sic).kg(-1) and 2.22 (sic).kg(-1) of soap for secondary transformators and traders, respectively. The total annual income perceived by all operators was 10,573 (sic) and the total value added was 11,335 (sic). The income was unequally distributed among the operators with 20% of them having more than 70% of the total income. Conclusions. A redistribution of the income to improve the shares of the currently underprivileged operators is necessary in order to boost the value chains of handmade medical soap of C. procera.