Frankincense, once harvested primarily for religious purposes, is now a highly sought-after commodity in the West’s booming wellness industry. Frankincense products, which Western companies allege have health benefits, are in high demand, leading to increased harvesting of frankincense trees. However, overharvesting and illegal extraction are ravaging frankincense forests, particularly in northern Ethiopia, and threatening to drive frankincense to extinction. The trees, already vulnerable due to climate change, are being unsustainably tapped. As a result, they become increasingly vulnerable to destructive beetles and fungi, which kill them. Because of the reckless tapping, among other things, a 2011 study predicted that 90% of the Boswellia papyrifera, the variety of frankincense tree responsible for most global production, could disappear by 2060. Despite efforts to protect the species, unsustainable practices continue, threatening the trees and the communities that depend on them.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
The West’s Wellness Industry Threatens Ethiopia’s Frankincense Forests
