In a corner of Covent Garden, shoppers can browse and purchase frankincense products from a leading cosmetics brand. The range includes serums, creams, essences, and tablets that claim to have age-defying properties. Frankincense has become increasingly popular in the wellness industry and is now considered a bestseller.
However, this sought-after product comes with a hefty price tag. A 50g bottle of frankincense firming cream costs upwards of £80, while an eye serum sells for the same price. Luxury brands even offer perfumes infused with frankincense for hundreds of pounds per bottle.
Frankincense has been used for religious rites since ancient times and was highly valued in ancient Egypt for its fragrance. But it wasn’t until recently that the resin gained popularity in the wellness industry.
Despite its growing demand, the extraction process remains rooted in tradition. Supply chains are often murky and fragmented, leading to exploitation and violence. Middlemen dominate the market and take most of the value from raw resin.
Moreover, there is mounting evidence that this newfound popularity is driving wild frankincense trees towards extinction. Overexploitation through reckless over-tapping has led to fewer trees regenerating and existing ones being tapped more intensively.
The main variety of frankincense tree is Boswellia papyrifera, which accounts for two-thirds of global resin production. Scientists predict that 90% of these trees could disappear by 2060 if action isn’t taken to protect them.
The situation on the ground is dire as well. In Tseykeme village in northern Ethiopia, where poverty is rampant due to conflict and droughts worsened by climate change, farmers struggle to make ends meet by harvesting frankincense illegally.
There is a massive disconnect between consumers’ desire for frankincense products and what actually happens on the ground where it’s harvested. Western companies profit significantly more than harvesters themselves due to exploitative supply chains.
Discussions are underway about protecting Boswellia under international trade regulations but some argue against an outright ban as it could drive trade underground without addressing underlying issues such as poverty among harvesters.
More support should be provided to smallholders who rely on harvesting frankincense as their livelihoods are at stake. Without intervention soon, both wild populations of Boswellia trees and local farmers will suffer greatly.
