CONFIGURACIÓN Y ADMINISTRACIÓN DEL SERVICIO

In the studied area 3 types of incense and gum have been assessed, at the beginning known only for their evident characteristics: black incense, white incense and arabic gum. During a preliminary phase, it has been thought to assess also the value chain of what has been called the yellow incense, because it was present in the local markets. During the survey it has been noticed that it is produced mainly in Somalia and areas of Ethiopia bordering Somalia, and the product found in Moyale area markets was imported or smuggled. Another initial target of the research was the Agarsu, but during the research I realised that it was smuggled all in Kenya, because it is not requested by intermediary and local traders of Ethiopia, as per the interviews in the field. Also the pastoral population didn‟t really utilise it for domestic and local uses. Moyale town is composed by two entities: Moyale Ethiopia and Moyale Kenya. Even if separated by international border, the two Moyale are economically well integrated and movements from one side to the other one are frequent and smooth. In the following table, the name of each resins/gum thought to be assessed is reported, as known in the local language, and also the tree producing it. White and black incense are the typology until now called frankincense.

Table 5. Assessed resins and gum during the preliminary phase of the study N. Product Name in Oromifa

Language

Trees names in

Oromifa

Scientific name of the tree

Family trees

1 Black Incense Anchà Gurrach or Itahn

Dunkhal Cadaba Glandulosa Boswellia

(Burseraceae)

2 White Incense Anchà Adii Dunkhal Cadaba Glandulosa Boswellia

3 Yellow Incense Kumbi ---- ---- ----

4 Agarsu Ur Muke Commiphora Rivae Commiphora

5 Gum Arabic Akbè Wacho & Sebansa Acacia Seyal & Acacia Senegal

Acacia

(Leguminosae)

439 _{Tadesse reports that tapped trees are more attacked by worms and pests than untapped trees; tapping also}

hampers natural regenerations ( Natural gum and resin bearing species of Ethiopia and their potential applications, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research - Forestry Research Center, 2007).

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The following criteria have been established to choose the typologies of resins and gum to be finally assessed: their production in the studied area, their local utilization, their trading within Ethiopia.

In the following table the uses of each gum/resin assessed are reported, both locally as described by the interviewed people, and after been processed.

Table 6. Uses of assessed resins and gum N. Product Uses/Purposes

1 Black Incense

To smoke houses, in order to provide nice smell and to whisk flies/bees away To smoke clothes to provide them with a good smell

To smoke women body, as natural perfume

To smoke during traditional ceremony, such as coffee ceremony To smoke during chewing chat

To control camels skin diseases, by applying it, after been boiled During religious celebrations

Used in meditation blends Traditional ink production

After processed it is used in medicines440, cosmetics, detergents, soaps, creams, lotions and perfumery, paints, adhesives and dyes manufacturing

2 White Incense

To smoke and in traditional/religious ceremonies: the same uses of black incense, but the quality and the smell of white incense are better

Medical uses for human and livestock disease treatments After processed, the same uses of black incense

3 Gum Fodder for livestock

Food: specially during emergency situations it becomes an emergency food for people Traditional stick/glue

After processing:

As stabilizer, thickener, flavouring, fixative, emulsifying in food and drink (beverages, candies, chewing gum, gelatines, nuts products, puddings, canned vegetables)441 industries;

440 _{It has modern pharmacological applications for several disease treatments most of them predicted by the}

traditional therapies. Their unique chemical compositions, pharmacological activities and non-toxicity tend to support the safe use of these popular traditional drugs in modern therapies (Michie and Cooper, 1991).

441

Due to its stability in acid conditions and its high solubility, gum arabic is well suited for use in citrus and cola flavor oil emulsions. In beer, it is used as a foaming agent and to assist lacing. Gum arabic is used increasingly as a source of soluble fiber in low-calorie and dietetic beverages. Gum arabic is an effective encapsulation agent because of its high water solubility, low viscosity, and emulsification properties and it is used in soups and dessert mixes (Verbeken, 2003).

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In pharmaceuticals industries442;

In printing443, paints, ink, textile, adhesive, ceramics industries; In cosmetics444 industry;

Other applications: pigment manufacture, polishes, heat and shear sensitivity of the gum (Verbeken, 2003)

Among the three, gum arabic is the product with much more utilization, after been processed. It is multi-functional: it is used as emulsifier, stabilizer, film-former (it forms an impenetrable film around the flavour particle), texturizer and low-viscosity water binder. In the soft drink industry, gum arabic is utilised as emulsifier and stabilizer of aromatic emulsions and spray- dried flavours for beverages. In confectionary, gum arabic is utilised to bind water and prevent sugar crystallinization. Its emulsification quality is important to enable fat to be distributed throughout th product and not move the surface, and make the food appear greasy445. Gum arabic is also used as a suspending agent in syrup, antiseptic preparation, cosmetics and adhesive, in paints, inks, litography and textiles. Gum arabic is not chemically modified and it qualifies for natural labelling or no artificial additive claims. It is natural and no toxic. It has a high source of fiber and low caloric value (it contains 85% of soluble dietary fiber). Because of this, gum arabic has recently found a new range of applications in the dietetic food and health sub-sector. Gum arabic is also utilised in pharmaceutical industry and in technical applications as printing, glues and ceramics.