Okere Shea Coop Secures First Export Contract with amika

A Transformative Milestone

In September 2025, the Okere Shea Cooperative Society in northern Uganda reached a historic milestone: the successful delivery of 9 metric tons (500 buckets) of nilotica shea butter to New York City. Three-quarters of this shipment will fulfill our first-ever export contract with amika, a leading U.S. hair and beauty brand known for its challenger spirit and commitment to sustainability.

This milestone is not just a commercial deal—it is the story of a rural community writing itself into the global economy on its own terms.

A Dream Becomes Reality

For Ojok Okello, Founder of Okere City and leader of the cooperative, the shipment represents the culmination of five years of sacrifice, perseverance, and radical imagination.

“500 buckets (9MT) of shea butter made from nuts collected, decorticated, produced, and packed by 480 incredible women of Okere and destined to a buyer in New York City. Tears poured down my cheeks as I pondered the journey of the past 5 years. The pain, the passion, and the perseverance have culminated into a bundle of joy.” – Ojok Okello

Ojok often describes nilotica shea butter as the “vibranium” of Okere—an ancestral resource capable of catalyzing radical rural transformation.

“I thought my dream that one day Okere Shea Butter would be used as the ‘vibranium’ that transforms our village was farfetched. But in less than 5 years, that reality is here. Let no one tell you that your dream is too big to be achieved.”

Women at the Heart of Regeneration

This first shipment was made possible by 480 women farmers, who collected, processed, and packed the shea nuts. Their work anchors a community-led regenerative economy.

The first profits from this contract will be invested into building a functional adult literacy center in Okere City, offering women the education they were denied as children.

The need is urgent: in Otuke District, 72% of adults are illiterate, and just 0.7% of women can read and write (UBOS). Linking global trade revenues to local literacy is a deliberate choice to ensure that economic progress translates into human dignity and opportunity.

Lessons in Regenerative Partnership

At NYC Climate Week 2025, the Okere–Forested–amika partnership was spotlighted as a model of regenerative sourcing.

Abby Waldorf of Forested called it “one of the most aligned brand–supplier collaborations I’ve seen”. She highlighted four lessons for brands serious about regeneration:

1. Challenger Mindset – amika embodies its “challenger brand” DNA by redefining leadership in beauty, from inclusive products to regenerative sourcing.

2. Authenticity – Impact is demonstrated, not claimed: from supporting farmers to providing scholarships, amika invests where it matters.

3. Beyond a Hero SKU – This is not a one-off. amika is transitioning all shea-based products to regenerative supply, achieving scale and deeper benefits.

4. Farmer-First, Community-Led – Okere ensures farmers see near-term benefits through carbon credit pre-payments in the form of staple seeds like rice and maize. This secures food security while farmers embrace long-term reforestation.

As Ariana Day Yuen, Founder & CEO of Forested, put it:

“Teamwork makes the regenerative dream work! Thanks to amika and Okere City, we are bringing Ugandan carbon-negative, nature-positive nilotica shea butter to the world.”

Brand and Investor Perspectives

From amika’s side, this collaboration is proof of a new kind of beauty supply chain.

Nilofer Vahora, Chief Marketing Officer of amika, reflected:

“We announced the launch of our regenerative agriculture partnership with Forested and Okere City—a people-led supply chain that not only regenerates endangered shea trees in Northern Uganda but also creates new livelihoods, especially for women farmers, while building climate resilience. For me, it was a full-circle moment. Beauty can fuel regeneration, equity, and collective action.”

Ojok Okello and Nilofer Vohara, the Chief Marketing Officer of amika at their headquarters in Manhattan, NYC.

Jamie Richards, Director of ESG at Bansk Beauty (amika’s parent company), added:

“When we talk about impact, it’s not enough to make promises, we need proof. Proof that climate solutions are reducing emissions. Proof that communities are benefiting with good jobs and fair opportunities. Proof that consumers can trust the choices they’re making. That’s why this partnership with Okere City matters.”

Local Government Endorsement

The success of this first export has also been recognized at the district level.

Brenda Atim, Senior Community Development Officer of Otuke District, told the community:

“This opportunity will be key to catalyze local economic development in Otuke. It reinforces the partnership between Okere City and the local government to continue working together to develop the shea butter value chain and conservation.”

Brenda, the senior community development officer giving her address to the local community during the export send-off celebration in Okere on 5th, Aug 2025.

Looking Ahead: Rural Futures Anchored in Regeneration

This is just the beginning. For Okere City, the first export is proof that a small rural community once devastated by war can connect to global markets with integrity and purpose.

The cooperative is:

• Planting thousands of shea trees to safeguard the ecosystem.

• Scaling infrastructure to meet future demand.

• Investing in women’s literacy and education as a cornerstone of regeneration.

By anchoring development in local resources, cultural heritage, and global partnerships, Okere is showing the world what rural futurism looks like: villages not as relics of poverty, but as laboratories of renewal, resilience, and possibility.

✨ 9MT of shea butter. 480 women. 70 new jobs. A rural future rooted in regeneration.

And this is only the beginning.

LOADING SHEA BUTTER INTO THE TRUCK

RANDOM PHOTOS DURING EXPORT DAY CELEBRATIONS