A revival in the production of gums and resins such as frankincense and myrrh could help conserve forests and boost livelihoods in Ethiopia’s impoverished drylands, according to a new study published by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
“Forest products such as gums and resins are important sources of cash income. They are the most important export commodities from the forestry sector,” said Habtemariam Kassa, co-author of the study “Opportunities and challenges for sustainable production and marketing of gums and resins in Ethiopia.”
Thus far, however, gum and resin trees have been neglected because policy makers and researchers know little about the potential of these resources. Strategies focus solely on agricultural expansion, but there is no clearly defined policy on dryland development.
“It is only recently that research on these forests, trees and products began. Thus policy options and technical/managerial recommendations on how best to manage dry forests to sustainably produce gums and resins are difficult to come by,” Kassa said. He stressed a need to support more research and to inform decision makers about balancing conservation and development in dry forest areas.
Sustainable production of gums and resins can help fight desertification and promote biodiversity and conservation, while also providing an income and offering a source of food for livestock, as well as humans during periods of famine.
The above text extracts were taken from CIFOR’s blog post “Reviving gum and resin production key to livelihoods and conservation in Ethiopia’s dry forests” – visit the link to view the original article.
Photo credit: Mulugeta Lemenih/Habtemariam Kassa