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22 PRODUCTSSPECIAL AND FEATURESMARKETS %AGARWOOD But agarwood was not new to the required. Later, in 2004, all agarwood Bhutanese living at the foothills. Tenzingla, species were also added to the list. Agarwood is considered “wood of the gods” a Bhutanese expert on plant genetics, Although overall trade volumes of the in Bhutan recalls how a Bhutanese businessman wood may appear small in “timber trade” When agarwood (Aquillaria tree) – approached him with an idea of extracting terms, they are not small in monetary commonly called aloe wood and eaglewood agarwood oil. “I found out that the tree terms. Agarwood chips and segments may – gets infected, naturally or artificially, it produced the oil as a by-product of a sell for several hundred to several produces a resin with a strong musky microbial fungal reaction,” he said. “The thousand United States dollars per smell, which is highly sought after in the tree as such has no value. It becomes kilogram. In the Qatar market, 18 g of the international market. valuable only when it gets infected.” wood can cost QR500. Locally called ogur, agarwood is valued The Department of Forests says that the The wood is mainly used to make in many cultures because of its distinctive tree is nearing extinction in Bhutan, which customary perfume and for other cultural fragrance. From Saudi royalty to Bhutanese Tenzingla said is a result of smuggling. purposes in the region. The demand for the monks, it is used widely in perfumes and Agarwood has been identified as an wood is high because of its medicinal, incense. endangered species, and because the religious, cultural and aromatic value An expert from Bhutan, Chang Dorji, market for agarwood is increasing, some throughout the world, mainly within Asia. calls the tree a treasure. “In the Buddhist countries have adapted measures to “The trade history of the wood goes back community, it is known as ogur sang shing control the overexploitation of the tree. In centuries, and hence there is a huge (agar incense wood) and considered wood anticipation of the growing international mismanagement as it does not look into for the gods,” he said. “The dark wood is market, valued in billions of United States having a trade system that can ensure the used to make special incense that is dollars, 55 million agarwood trees have conservation of the agarwood reserves. offered only to Bhutan’s chief protective been planted in Assam (India), 1.5 million in This is a key CITES issue,” said Compton. deity Palden Lham.” the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and The quality and quantity of agarwood One kilogram of the infected tree’s chips 2 million in Thailand. from the wild are also going down because costs about USD190 (about Nu8 400), with In 1995, CITES listed the Aquillaria tree of extreme exploitation. “People are better grades fetching USD10 000/kg. The as a potentially threatened species in the looking to make money out of this kind of cheapest oud oil, distilled from agarwood, world. At the recent CITES conference, the harvesting; hence that is also another can cost about USD20/kg, while the finest need to protect Aquillaria trees was also challenge for CITES to differentiate oud oils distilled from agarwood can cost discussed. (Source: www.kuensenonline. between wild and the domestic species,” as much as USD7 000/kg. com [Bhutan], 18 April 2010.) he said. In Bhutan, the National Institute of Consumer countries, including Qatar, Traditional Medicine is the only Agarwood needs protection should work together with producers to organization that currently buys agarwood The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) ensure an agarwood industry that for medicinal use. It costs about Nu60 for countries should make the right choice encourages legal and sustainable trade 1 kg of agar. According to pharmacists, they immediately to protect depleting agarwood and curbs the black market. (Source: The use about two trees. resources. The agarwood trade industry Peninsula [Qatar], 15 March 2010.) The Aquillaria tree is native to Southeast with its billion dollar value is in need of Asia and grows in eight countries: Myanmar, proper management for its sustainable Bhutan, Thailand, the Philippines, Viet Nam, continuation, according to James Compton, Malaysia, India and Indonesia. Asia-Pacific Programme Coordinator for In Bhutan, it grows in the subtropical TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring foothills, especially in Samdrupjongkhar, network. “The CITES conference is an Sarpang, Samtse and Zhemgang. important turning-point for agarwood According to sources, the late Dasho conservation and trade as some of the Nishoka accidentally discovered it in major consumers are in the region,” he told Bhutanese forests. “Two people felling The Peninsula. “There should be a trees illegally in Panbang were caught and, collaborative management between both on investigation, they were found the consumer countries and the producers. smuggling agarwood,” recalled a colleague If consumer countries such as the GCC %BAMBOO of the late Dasho, adding, “Dasho used to states, Taiwan (Republic of China), Japan say that there was a lot of poaching of the and others make the right choice and Bamboo nations prepare to shoot into tree in southern Bhutan by people from commitment now, a long-lasting change carbon markets across the border”. A study carried out by will happen. If something is not done, in Interest in using bamboo for climate change the Department of Forests, with assistance five years the chance of a sustainable trade mitigation is picking up in Southeast Asia. from the World Wide Fund for Nature, is very low.” The Philippines and Cambodia, both rich in found that the Aquillaria trees were almost Agarwood, an aromatic wood, is at threat bamboo, used the opportunity offered by the extinct because of uncontrolled of depletion in the wild. In 1995, one United Nations Framework Convention on exploitation. “When the late Dasho learned species of agarwood was listed in CITES Climate Change (UNFCCC) last year to open about the value of these trees, he collected Appendix II, meaning that trade could up the definition of “forest” for bamboo and seeds and planted 3 000 of them.” continue, but a CITES export permit is palms. The two countries have taken a NON-WOOD NEWS No. 21 October 2010 SPECIALPRODUCTS FEATURES AND MARKETS 23 national decision to broaden their forests to promocional de la Sociedad Civil Habitat- bamboo and palms, and have Cuba, a través de un trabajo sistemático que communicated this to the UNFCCC (clean comenzó por la divulgación y capacitación, development mechanism [CDM] Executive así como las experiencias en países del área Board). Technically, this enables CDM que revelaron resultados positivos. En el afforestation/reforestation (A/R) projects 2003 se celebró el Primer Taller Nacional de with bamboos and palms. Viet Nam is taking Bambú organizado por la ACTAF y a similar decision in the immediate future. patrocinado por el Fondo Canadá-Cuba para While the potential of bamboo in carbon iniciativas locales, donde se presentó el sequestration is considered high, the Programa Desarrollo de Alternativas standard A/R methodologies designed for Agroecológicas para el uso del bambú en tree forests need adjustments to Cuba. En la actualidad, se continúa con el accommodate the peculiarities of bamboo. It desarrollo de este programa en siete is anticipated that the voluntary carbon provincias, patrocinado por la ONG COSUDE. markets are providing better opportunities La regeneración natural de los bambúes for bamboo, with their wider range of la guadua alcanza su punto culminante como ocurre estacionalmente por medio de accepted mitigation activities. material, hoy denominado «Acero Vegetal». semillas y por la activación asexual de las Integrated bamboo carbon projects can En la industria papelera en Brasil, se yemas del rizoma y de los culmos. Estas vías be designed to: (i) plant bamboo on eligible destaca el grupo Joao Santos, y la de propagación son limitadas, aún más lands for sequestration; (ii) improve stand industrialización de las chusqueas (bambúes cuando se desea introducir la especie a la management to enhance carbon stocking; de altura) en Chile, son dos buenos ejemplos producción. Una alternativa a la propagación (iii) make long-lasting products for locking de seguir. En la actualidad, todos los países vegetativa es la regeneración y up carbon; and (iv) promote fuel switches del mundo fijan su atención en el recurso multiplicación de plantas in vitro. Esta from coal and diesel to the use of dead bambú y su potencial, que ya no es futuro, técnica ha sido utilizada para la propagación culms and processing waste in generating sino un presente. de otras especies de bambú, utilizando rural electricity. All such activities can Aproximadamente, el 50 por ciento de las primordios foliares de ápices, semillas generate carbon offset credits, which can be especies de bambú existentes en la maduras y hojas inmaduras. sold and revenue collected. A payment for naturaleza, se hallan en América. Se El cultivo in vitro ofrece varias ventajas en environmental services (PES) scheme would encuentran prácticamente en todos los la propagación de las plantas, los bambúes provide a robust mechanism for engaging países americanos, desde los 40° de latitud no escapan de esta posibilidad. La farmers with bamboo in carbon finance. norte hasta los 47° de latitud sur, y desde el propagación en laboratorio de este grupo de (Contributed by: Mr Jukka Tissari, Forestry nivel del mar hasta los 4 000 m de altura en plantas de diferentes especies, se ha Officer [Forest Products Trade and los Andes. Cabe mencionar algunos desarrollado en varios países. En Cuba, se Marketing], Forest Products and Industries aspectos referentes a la Guadua angustifolia, trabaja en el establecimiento de protocolos Team, Forest Economics, Policy and una de las más valiosas especies de la de propagación en el laboratorio de algunas Products Division, FAO Forestry naturaleza, endémica desde Venezuela hasta especies de interés para los programas de Department.