Heart of the Matter:
Agarwood Use and Trade and CITES Implementation for Aquilaria malaccensis
By Barden A.,
Noorainie A.A., Mulliken T. and Song, M.
Aquilaria malaccensis is one of 15 tree species of genus Aquilaria, family of Thymelaeaceae.
Sometimes it can produce resin-impregnated heartwood fragrant that is highly
valuable. There are many names for this resinous wood, including agar,
agarwood, aleoswood, eaglewood, gaharu and kalambak. It has a high demand for
medicine, incense and perfumes across Asia and the Middle East countries.
A.
malaccensis is widely distributed in south and south-east Asia. It is found
in 10 countries which included Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Aquilaria species have adapted to live in various habitats,
including those that are rocky, sandy or calcareous, well-drained slopes and
ridges and land near swamps.
There are seven other Aquilaria species that are also considered
threatened according to the IUCN Red List Categories where five of them are
considered to be at risk from overexploitation for agarwood which are:
- A. beccariana (Vulnerable),
- A. crassna (Critically Endangered),
- A. cumingiana (Vulnerable),
- A. hirta (Vulnerable), and
- A. microcarpa (Vulnerable).
Agarwood is not a
uniform product, but instead possesses different characteristics. It is
classified according to various grading systems that differ according to the
product in trade and country in which trade is taking place. The grade and
value of agarwood and agarwood derivatives such as oil is determined by a
complex set of factors including:
- Country of
origin,
- Fragrance
strength and longevity,
- Wood
density,
- Product
purity,
- Resin
content,
- Colour,
and
- Size of
the form traded.
Uses of agarwood
Agarwood has three principal uses: medicine, perfume and incense.
Smaller quantities are used for other purposes such as carvings. The uses are
described in more detail below.
Use in medicine:
Agarwood has been used
for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and continues to be used in
Ayurvedic, Tibetan and traditional East Asian medicine. Agarwood is prescribed
in traditional East Asian medicine to promote the flow of qi, relieve pain, arrest vomiting by warming the stomach and
relieving asthma. High quality agarwood powder is prescribed in Chinese
medicine and it is also used in the production of pharmaceutical tinctures.
Malaysians used agarwood mixed with coconut oil as a liniment; and also used in
a boiled concoction to treat rheumatism and other body pain. Agarwood is also
prescribe for dropsy, as a carminative, a stimulant, for heart palpitation, and
as a tonic taken particularly during pregnancy, after childbirth and for
diseases of female genital organs.
Use in perfume:
Both agarwood smoke
and oil are customarily used as perfume in the Middle East countries. In India,
various grades of agarwood are distilled separately before blending to produce final
‘attar’ which is traditionally used by Muslims to lace prayer clothes.
Use in incense:
Agarwood incense is
burned to produce a pleasant aroma, its use ranging from a general perfume to
an element of important religious occasions. Both Indians and Chinese have used
agarwood as an essential ingredient of incense sticks in the past. However,
nowadays, incense sticks generally do not contain agarwood. Instead, the light
cream/brown powdery waste materials obtained from oil distillation are used to
provide a basic carrier for other, cheaper, fragrant ingredients.
Other uses:
Except for the three
uses listed above, agarwood also used in Malaysia for cosmetic purposes
(particularly during sickness and after childbirth), ornamental boxes or tea
boxes from healthy agarwood wood, sculptures which usually Buddhist figures,
agarwood bead and necklaces, aromatic ingredient for wine in Taiwan, insect
repellent, funeral pyres and many more.
Status and distribution in Malaysia
Three species of Aquilaria are found in Malaysia: A. hirta, A. malaccensis and A. rostrata. A. malaccensis is well
distributed throughout Peninsular Malaysia, except for the States of Kedah and
Perlis. It is confined mainly to plains, hill slopes and ridges up to 750m in
both primary and secondary Malaysian lowland and hill dipterocarp forests.
Although A. malaccensis enjoys good
geographical coverage, its occurrence is rather rare. La Frankie studied Pasoh
Forest Reserve, a typical lowland Malaysian forest density of 2.5/ha is found
with agarwood tree with varied growth rate between 0 – 1.95cm/year.
One of the first
attempts to cultivate Aquilaria
occurred in 1982. However, original population density of 833/ha reduced to
31/ha in 1995 due to natural mortality and it is unknown whether any of these
trees produce agarwood. Additional research has shown that Aquilaria can be artificially propagated and there are continuing
laboratory experiments regarding artificial induction of agarwood formation.
Conclusion
Agarwood has been
valued, used and traded internationally for more than 2,000 years. Recently, eight of Aquilaria species have been considered threatened and being listed in CITES Appendix. However, concern
still remains for excessive illegal exploitation and trades of Aquilaria species. Available information
indicates that, failing changes in current harvest and trade patterns continually
decreasing the availability of agarwood and wild population of this Aquilaria species that produce it. Coordinate
and cooperative actions between consumer country governments, businesses
engaged in agarwood harvest, trades and related industries, research
institutions and conservation organizations are required to derive a
sustainable use of agarwood producing species.
So, let’s take our
parts in sustaining this valuable agarwood producing species.
Together we can make a difference!