Myrrh Supply Chain Assessment Project

Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha): Supply Chain Assessment, Harvesting Practices, Landscape Management, and Chemical Analysis seeks to address the lack of transparency and understanding of sustainability in the supply chain of myrrh resin, a valuable botanical widely used in herbal products, perfumery, and traditional medicine. Despite its significant market demand, the environmental and social impacts of commercial myrrh trade remain poorly understood. Threats such as over-tapping and grazing pressure have been well-documented in the closely related Boswellia trees also growing in the main myrrh production regions of Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, but the status of myrrh has so far been unexplored. This gap in knowledge makes it challenging for companies to meet sustainable sourcing standards and support ethical trade, which in turn impacts rural communities dependent on myrrh production. This three-year project combines field surveys, chemical analysis, and socio-economic assessments to build a comprehensive understanding of the myrrh supply chain and the ecological status of its primary populations in Ethiopia. The project team is conducting interviews with harvesters and traders to map the supply chain from local communities to the export market, as well as quantitative population surveys to assess myrrh tree health, regeneration, and threats across harvested and non-harvested regions. The study is also analyzing resin samples to identify potential chemical markers for geographic origin, possibly providing an innovative tool for verifying source authenticity and tracing the impact of different harvesting methods. This project is crucial for the herbal products industry as it provides a pathway for companies to ethically source myrrh while safeguarding its long-term availability. The team will use the data generated in this project to generate a sustainable sourcing guide and educational materials for the industry, empowering companies to improve their supply chains, meet environmental and social standards, and support community welfare. This approach not only supports the ecological sustainability of myrrh populations but also helps foster fair trade practices that benefit local harvesters and strengthen the integrity of the herbal products market.

https://www.ahpa.org/myrrh_supply_chain_assessment