Drought threatens myrrh, which is essential for elite perfumes
Kyiv • UNN
Due to climate change and hungry livestock in Ethiopia, myrrh trees are dying en masse. Harvesters receive meager profits compared to the prices of brands like Tom Ford.
A key note in some of the world's most famous fragrances is myrrh, a woody resin from the Horn of Africa that is under threat due to what experts call a historic drought, writes UNN with reference to AP.
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According to locals, the trees that once formed a dense forest in Ethiopia's Somali region are under threat due to lack of water and are being gnawed by hungry livestock.
Earlier this year, researchers, supported by the American Botanical Council, visited the source of the valuable resin, which reaches global markets from some of the most vulnerable places on Earth. The goal: to ensure that those who collect the resin receive most of the direct profit, not intermediaries in an opaque supply chain.
Ethiopia is a significant source of myrrh, which has been used in cosmetic, wellness, and religious practices since at least ancient Egypt. Traditional harvesting methods in the region have not changed, which helps protect the trees and produce the highest quality resin.
Hand-harvesting myrrh increases its price, but those who collect it receive only a small fraction of the profit. A kilogram of resin can fetch between $3.50 and $10. This is far from the prices of the perfumes created from it and sold by famous fashion brands such as Tom Ford, Comme des Garcons, and Jo Malone, at prices up to $500 per bottle.
The drought concerned the research team. Annual rains have been insufficient for the past few years, interrupted in 2023 by devastating floods. The arid region has long suffered from drought, but this one has become historic. Experts blame climate change.
Myrrh harvesting is under threat. Although adult trees are generally healthy, they produce less resin. And fewer young trees survive. "Unfortunately, many seedlings are uprooted by children grazing their livestock nearby, and animals often eat the buds of young trees," said local elder Mohamed Osman Miir, adding: "We are deeply concerned about the decline in the myrrh tree population."
Without adequate rain, other young trees are likely to die. One of the researchers worries that eventually even adult trees will die.
Meanwhile, interest in other potential uses of myrrh is growing, as is global interest in natural remedies.
Currently, most of the myrrh from this part of eastern Ethiopia is purchased by traders from neighboring Somalia. Ethiopia does not levy taxes on these goods.
Locals hope that increased awareness will help them in the face of a climate crisis that threatens their way of life.