Achieving Conservation-Through-Use for Frankincense

Conservation-through-use — where the trade value of a wild-harvested product ensures the long-term conservation of the species by the people harvesting — is the ultimate dream of many in the botanicals industry. But how do we bring it into being, especially for trees like frankincense (Boswellia spp.) in Somaliland and Somalia? In this post, I’d like to explore a few important themes, and consider how we can work together as an industry to fundamentally transform these supply chains.

Frankincense farm in Somaliland, photo by Dayaxa Frankincense Export Company

1. Everything Starts with Transparency 

Supply chain transparency is the fundamental requirement for conservation action. In Somaliland and Somalia, the frankincense supply chains are traditionally incredibly opaque, with virtually no information on how or where frankincense resins are sourced before they end up in major warehouses. This opacity is by design. Local traders and brokers have often used it to depress local prices paid to harvesters and to dodge questions about sustainability and ethics; this also degrades incentives for sustainable harvesting by forcing harvesters to collect as much as possible each season (Farah, 1994; DeCarlo and Ali, 2010; DeCarlo et al., 2020). Even today, many traders and exporters resist transparency efforts, either out of not wanting to put in the effort to achieve transparency or out of fear of the practices in their supply chains it might reveal. But without knowing where the material comes from, or who is involved, it’s impossible to confirm that harvesters have been paid and treated fairly, or that purchasing is supporting conservation.  

Fresh frankincense resin, photo by Dayaxa Frankincense Export Company

However, tools like Blockchain can be used to document practices in real-time and give deeper insight into supply chain practices in a way that is cost-effective, scalable, and secure. Our team has been using Blockchain to trace resins we’re purchasing to individual harvesting sites, register harvesters we buy from, and make traceable payments that can be matched to specific lots of resin from specific sites. This also provides a platform to document tree health and harvesting sustainability data, which can be timestamped, geo-tagged and recorded securely to prevent tampering. By using this system, we’ve been able to gather much greater detail on our supply chain, prove good practice, and de-risk the supply for customers.  

2. Traditional Practices Aren’t Enough 

Many suppliers claim that because frankincense has traditionally been harvested, no further effort or proof is needed to claim sustainability. While traditional ecological management and harvesting practices can be incredibly useful guides on good sustainability techniques, it is not a panacea. There is a long tradition of frankincense harvesting in Somaliland and Somalia, with a sophisticated body of knowledge on best harvesting and management techniques, but just because the knowledge and the best practices exist doesn’t mean they’re followed consistently. Indeed, various studies (Farah, 1994; DeCarlo and Ali, 2010; UN FAO FSNAU, 2016; DeCarlo et al., 2020) have observed intensive harvesting and damage to trees in various parts of Somaliland and Puntland, most often attributed to the poor economic conditions that push harvesters to collect as much as possible every season. Furthermore, the exploitative supply chain conditions are, in many cases, traditional practices as well (Farah 1994); just because a practice is traditional doesn’t mean it’s good! 

Traditional ecological knowledge is a valuable tool to inform ecological management, but it needs to be combined with ongoing monitoring and proof that good practices are incentivized and followed. A tradition of harvesting should not be invoked to claim sustainable or ethical behaviour without proof! 

Frankincense (Boswellia frereana) trees in Somalia, photo by Stephen Johnson (author)

3. Collaboration is Key 

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) resin, photo by Stephen Johnson (author)

Frankincense, as with many wild plants, has a sizable market. There are dozens of major buyers, processors, suppliers, brand users, etc., and tens of thousands of harvesters and community members. Creating real, lasting change in the supply chain means building partnerships and collaborations across the industry, as well as with NGOs, universities, and governments. We need to work together to come to a common understanding of the challenges in the supply chain and to support effective solutions. Individual sustainability and supply chain improvement initiatives are important but working together can greatly amplify the impact of all our actions.  

Creating transparent, equitable, and regenerative supply chains for a product like frankincense requires work, though it is possible, and it is necessary. We’re committed to innovating to solve challenges on the ground and collaborating to scale solutions and drive fundamental change in the supply chain. We invite anyone who cares about frankincense sustainability and equity to connect with us. We’re excited to discuss the challenges, solutions, and opportunities to work together to drive long-term positive change for the industry, the trees, and the communities that rely on them.  

By Stephen Johnson

To learn more about FairSource Botanicals, visit www.fairsourcebotanicals.com