Boswellia - sustainability of a species

Frankincense is a resin produced by Boswelia trees when their bark is notched. The genus Boswellia comprises about 20 different species of trees, of which only a few (carterii, sacra, papyrifera, frereana, serrata) produce commercially valuable resin.

Frankincense resin has been used for over 5000 years in medicine, religious rituals and personal care products. And in recent years, it has been increasingly used in all its forms, but especially for essential oils (a booming industry).

There are, however, a number of factors that are jeopardizing the survival of Boswellia species and may lead to the extinction of incense in a few decades.

Improper harvesting

This is one of the biggest problems affecting Boswellia populations.

As a rule of thumb it is recommended that each Boswellia tree should be incised no more than 6-12 times per year (depending on size and age). In addition, resin should only be harvested 6 months of the year. A break of 1 year after every 2 years of harvest is necessary to ensure the health of the plant.

But Anjanette DeCarlo, an ecologist and director of the Save Frankincense project, was shocked to discover trees with more than 100 cuttings in a forest she considered virgin.

Comparative studies have shown that over-harvesting results in Boswellia plants drying out carbon and hydrocarbons, which jeopardizes their survival in the first place, but can also lead to a lower quality of resin and essential oil.

Human influence on habitat

Deforestation and uncontrolled fires to prepare the land for agriculture severely affect an already declining population.

Overgrazing or uncontrolled grazing leads to the disappearance of young trees and inevitably to the aging of the Boswellia population.

In a 2019 study investigating 23 Boswellia populations with more than 20,000 trees, Frans Bogers found that more than 75% of them are devoid of young trees. His estimate is that, if left unchecked, Frankincense production will decline over the next 20 years.

It is also estimated that within the next 30 years the entire population of Boswellia may disappear from Ethiopia (the world's largest exporter of frankincense).

Environmental factors

Drought, violent storms, various diseases and insect pests are also important factors leading to increased mortality.

Trees already weakened by improper harvesting are all the more susceptible to all these environmental factors, acquire poor health and produce poorer quality seed. With a very low germination rate anyway (below 10% for most species) and some of the seeds becoming animal feed, the chances of survival of the incense are considerably reduced.

Economic factors

The increased interest makes frankincense resin a product of tremendous socio-economic significance for many of the countries where it is produced. However, there are few laws protecting Boswellia species and, where they exist, they are extremely difficult to enforce, especially because the resin is harvested from remote, inaccessible places. In addition, Frankincense trees prefer arid climates and often grow in conflict areas with poor populations, for whom selling resin is the only source of income.

Brokers who sell resin to big oil, cosmetics, perfume companies or churches speculate on the vulnerability of the harvesters by offering low prices or sometimes even refusing payment through various tactics. These practices are impoverishing a population already affected by drought and war, and forcing them to ignore the sustainability of Boswellia species in favor of their own survival.

All this has scientists and ecologists concerned about the survival of Boswellia species. There have been several proposals to list Boswellia as an endangered plant, as well as proposals for sustainable ways of harvesting the coveted resin.

Organic certifications have proved ineffective, but other types of certification, such as FairWild, can become an important tool to protect the Boswellia population

Fortunately, almost all Boswellia species can be cultivated. In recent years, many Boswellia tree nurseries have sprung up in Oman and the United States, and are starting to appear in Somalia.

There are also several projects to hybridize different species of Boswellia in order to obtain trees that are more resistant to environmental conditions, but also for a richer resin production, both in terms of quantity and quality. Whether or not these hybrids will be accepted as a source for essential oils remains to be seen. However, the importance of these projects is extraordinary in today's conditions.

Although at the moment both the trees that produce incense and those that harvest it seem to be in a war for their own survival, the future looks promising: new technologies and approaches to sustainability are being implemented; superior hybrids and nurseries have already emerged; environmentalists and scientists are already attaching great importance to finding viable sustainability solutions. In addition, it is also our responsibility as consumers to ensure that the essential oils we use come from sustainable sources and that the harvesters or growers are properly treated.

Resources

Lemenih, Mulugeta & Habtemariam, Kassa (2011). Opportunities and challenges for sustainable production and marketing of gums and resins in Ethiopia.

DeCarlo, A., Johnson, S., Ouédraogo, A., Dosoky, N. S., & Setzer, W. N. (2019). Chemical Composition of the Oleogum Resin Essential Oils of Boswellia dalzielii from Burkina Faso. Plants (Basel, Switzerland), 8(7), 223. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8070223 https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8070223

Mengistu, Tefera & Sterck, Frank & Fetene, Masresha & Bongers, Frans. (2013). Frankincense tapping reduces the carbohydrate storage of Boswellia trees. Tree physiology. 33. 10.1093/treephys/tpt035.

Brendler T, Brinckmann JA, Schippmann U. Sustainable supply, a foundation for natural product development: The case of Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata Roxb. ex Colebr. ex Boswellia serrata Roxb. ex Colebr.). J Ethnopharmacol. 2018 Oct 28;225:279-286. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.07.017.017. Epub 2018 Jul 18. PMID: 30031142.

Bongers, F., Groenendijk, P., Bekele, T. et al. Frankincense in peril. Nat Sustain 2, 602-610 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0322-2

DeCarlo, A. & Ali, S. H. Sustainable Sourcing of Phytochemicals as a Development Tool: The Case of Somaliland's Frankincense Industry (Institute for Environmental Diplomacy & Security, 2014).

Johnson, S., DeCarlo, A., Satyal, P., Dosoky, N. S., Sorensen, A., & Setzer, W. N. (2019). Organic Certification is Not Enough: The Case of the Methoxydecane Frankincense. Plants (Basel, Switzerland), 8(4), 88. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8040088

Gidey, T., Hagos, D., Juhar, H. M., Solomon, N., Negussie, A., Crous-Duran, J., Oliveira, T. S., Abiyu, A., & Palma, J. H. (2020). Population status of Boswellia papyrifera woodland and prioritizing its conservation interventions using multi-criteria decision model in northern Ethiopia. Heliyon, 6(10), e05139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05139

Eslamieh, Jason. (2010). Creating \"Perfect\" Boswellia. Cactus and Succulent Journal. 82. 126-131. 10.2985/015.082.0307.

Swartout, Benjamin & Solowey, Elaine. (2018). increasing Boswellia sacra seeds' germination viability and genetic variability utilizing various methods. Net Journal of Agricultural Science. 6. 29-34. 10.30918/NJAS.63.18.017.

Hassan, Badal Ahmed & Glover, Edinam & Luukkanen, Olavi & Chikamai, Ben & Jamnadass, Ramni & Iiyama, Miyuki & Kanninen, Markku. (2011). The role of Boswellia and Commiphora species in rural livelihood security and climate change adaptation in the Horn of Africa: Case study north-eastern Kenya. International Journal of Social Forestry. 4. 86-112.

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