A. Species
Scientific name: Boswellia spp.
Common name(s): Frankincense, Oilbanum
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Sudan
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Uganda
Country/Region: Horn of Africa / y Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Regional/Continental/Multi-country level
Name/Details of location: y Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2003
End Year: 2017
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Gathering/Cutting/Collecting terrestrial plants and fungi or their products from the wild
Lethal or non-lethal: Non-Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: Only parts or products of the organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Medicine and hygiene, Ceremony and ritual expression, Decorative and aesthetic and Fragrance manufacturing chiefly for incense and perfumery
Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Largescale commercial exploitation for trade
Is this use legal or illegal?: Some use is legal and some is illegal
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people, National / local private sector and International private sector
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The decline in commercially important tree species with a subsequent deterioration of rural livelihood opportunities has been attributed to ecosystem degradation caused by drought, excessive fuelwood harvesting and overgrazing, as well as to land conversion, improper resin tapping methods and insect damage. The study argues that, due to the decline in the populations of these tree species, the sustainability of frankincense and myrrh production is at risk.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Despite being socio-economically important, and a source of medicinal ingredients, because these species are not ecologically sustainable, the current industrial exploitations of these resources cannot be sustainable. This review study explains that although several scientific studies have been conducted regarding the socio-economic and ecological importance of Boswellia and Commiphora species, none of them has systematically evaluated the socio-economic contributions of aromatic resins to national and regional economies. However, this study concludes that that proper commercialization and value-chain development of frankincense and myrrh are significant economic incentives to manage the dryland ecosystems sustainably, and that Boswellia and Commiphora species as integrated components of agro-silvo-pastoral systems could significantly contribute to rural livelihoods and improve adaptability to climate change in the Horn of Africa.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Despite being socio-economically important, and a source of medicinal ingredients, because these species are not ecologically sustainable, the current industrial exploitations of these resources cannot be sustainable. This review study explains that although several scientific studies have been conducted regarding the socio-economic and ecological importance of Boswellia and Commiphora species, none of them has systematically evaluated the socio-economic contributions of aromatic resins to national and regional economies. However, this study concludes that that proper commercialization and value-chain development of frankincense and myrrh are significant economic incentives to manage the dryland ecosystems sustainably, and that Boswellia and Commiphora species as integrated components of agro-silvo-pastoral systems could significantly contribute to rural livelihoods and improve adaptability to climate change in the Horn of Africa.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Despite being socio-economically important, and a source of medicinal ingredients, because these species are not ecologically sustainable, the current industrial exploitations of these resources cannot be sustainable. This review study explains that although several scientific studies have been conducted regarding the socio-economic and ecological importance of Boswellia and Commiphora species, none of them has systematically evaluated the socio-economic contributions of aromatic resins to national and regional economies. However, this study concludes that that proper commercialization and value-chain development of frankincense and myrrh are significant economic incentives to manage the dryland ecosystems sustainably, and that Boswellia and Commiphora species as integrated components of agro-silvo-pastoral systems could significantly contribute to rural livelihoods and improve adaptability to climate change in the Horn of Africa.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
National investment programmes are needed to enhance value addition and market development and to stop the decline of the Boswellia and Commiphora resource base. These trees are valuable agents for enhancing community resilience and adaptation under the threat of negative effects of global climate change. The existing aromatic resin value chains are thus mainly intermediary buyer-driven chains, led by big traders. It should be possible to enhance the bargaining power of aromatic resin collectors by encouraging their own associations to play an active role in market price determination. Farmers’ adoption of Boswellia and Commiphora species as economic tree crops in the Horn of Africa has a distinct role in biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation by contributing to the sustainability of ecosystem functioning as well as improving household incomes and the rural livelihood security in general, and thereby facilitating poverty alleviation. Sustainable management, clear political will, and scientific and development programmes that could promote the socio-economic significance of aromatic resin value chains at different levels are urgently needed.
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2019-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2023-01-10