Estheine CEO Lee Sun-young invited to Uganda for ITC shea project

A Korean aesthetic brand is participating in an International Trade Centre (ITC) project designed to bridge the gap between shea raw material production in northern Uganda and the domestic skincare industry. The itinerary includes meeting local producers and processors to verify the production stages, quality, and traceability of shea raw materials.

Skincare and aesthetic brand Estheine announced on the 9th that its CEO, Lee Sun-young, has been invited to the 'Agricultural Business Resilience and Competitiveness Enhancement Project' in Uganda, organized by the ITC, an agency under the UN.

Lee is scheduled to participate in a field visit to the shea value chain in northern Uganda from October 26 to 30. The visit is part of the market linkage activities of the STAR project, which is funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and implemented by the ITC.

The ITC is an international organization jointly established by the UN and the WTO, supporting the participation and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries in international trade.

The STAR project targets agribusinesses and smallholder farmers in the northern and northeastern regions of Uganda.

Focusing on the value chains of shea, cassava, and oilseed crops, the project supports corporate capacity building, quality improvement, and the expansion of domestic sales channels. It also aims to increase the economic participation of local producers, including women and youth.

As part of the project's market linkage activities, the initiative promotes cooperation between Ugandan shea-related companies and overseas buyers and industry stakeholders. The project is exploring potential collaboration with the Korean cosmetics and skincare industry regarding the procurement of Ugandan shea and subsequent product development.

During her visit, Lee plans to meet with communities harvesting shea nuts, female producers, processors, and related companies. She will observe the production and processing of shea raw materials to verify their origin, quality, and traceability.

Discussions will also focus on procurement methods linked directly to local producers. Estheine, the ITC, and participating companies will examine local production processes and supply chains to review how shea can be applied to products and how to foster cooperation between stakeholders.

Estheine stated that through this field visit, it intends to confirm the suitability of Ugandan shea for skincare products and discuss cooperation plans regarding raw material procurement and product development.