Voluntary certifications

There are currently no mandatory certifications that apply to Nilotica shea butter. However, there are many optional voluntary certifications available to highlight specific aspects of its origin and production process to customers. These include certifications such as organic, natural, wild harvest, fair trade, and ethically sourced.

Some of these labels are protected, including organic and fair trade. This means that these terms can only be used by a supplier if they have been audited and found to comply with the relevant standard by an accredited certification body. Currently, only one company in Uganda is certified organic and can therefore claim this label.

The need for external validation is not always well understood by small-scale companies in Uganda, even though they may market their company or products as “organic.” When asked for supporting documentation, they may not always have it, since they often mistake the term “organic” to mean the same as “natural.” Therefore, it is important to verify their actual accreditation and corresponding documents with both the supplier and the certifying body.