Women, shea, and finance: how institutional practices in a Malian cooperative create development impact

Development impacts are often framed in terms of the effects of exogenous inputs, such as finance or technologies, on measurable ultimate outcomes for a specified group of beneficiaries, for example increased income. This case study of sourcing, processing, and trading shea butter and kernels by a Malian women's cooperative emphasizes intermediate outcomes, specifically early signs of institutional change, as measures for assessing the development impacts of access to finance. The cooperative succeeded in obtaining working capital provided by a microfinance organization. The impact of this arrangement was most visible in how the provision of working capital catalysed emerging institutional practices within the cooperative, particularly in sourcing and stocking, which altered relations with non-members and traders. Hence, access to finance achieved an impact in terms of the interaction between the evolving strategies of the cooperative and the activities of people not directly included in the group-based activity itself.