Somalilandsun: Frankincense and myrrh, which are actually resins derived from tree species native to the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, have roots stretching back thousands of years and across many different cultures.
In Somaliland where Frankincense abounds in the east of the country has become a major income earner for many former natives who now reside in various capitals of the world.
Ibrahim originally from Somaliland is now an American citizen and resident of Vermont where in partnership with other natives has established a company that deals exclusively with the fragrance derived from the tree
The resins’ route out of Africa sounds almost biblical. The arid, rocky and mountainous terrain where these hardy trees grow on limestone cliffs are owned by families and tribes who have exclusive access to them, Ibrahim said. His brother, Idris, the company’s head of sourcing in Somaliland, travels from village to village forging relationships with harvesters, who gather the resin by hand, carry it out of the mountains on foot and truck it to the Port of Berbera.
From there, the frankincense and myrrh travel via transatlantic container ship to the Port of Montréal, where they’re loaded onto trucks and driven south to Vermont. The entire process takes several months. Read more HERE
