Soofka Services Punta Frankincense

We are a team of entrepreneurs originally hailing from the Puntland an autonomous region of

Somalia we have been granted stewardship of a vast forest of frankincense and myrrh trees in a

region hailed since antiquity for the quality and aroma of their resins we knew there was an

opportunity in the market for authentic Somali frankincense in Bulk quantity which can at times

be difficult to obtain, really difficult to ensure quality, and even more difficult to verify the

authenticity.

Somalia is considered by most, the ancient land of Punt. Referred to thousands of years ago by the

Egyptians, and other civilizations as the home of Frankincense and Myrrh. Somalia is the only place in

the world where the rare and valuable Frankincense Frereana, known as Maydi, can be found in

abundance.

As such we have founded and built this company to become the leading wholesale supplier in

western states in the USA of authentic Somali Frankincense Boswellia (Carterii, Sacra) and

Boswellia (frereana) resins and tears and we do not use frankincense from other regions /

countries.

Our farm is located in the Alula and Maydh regions near the city of Bossaso autonomous region

of Somalia where the climate is influenced by the Red Sea and Golis Mountain Range.

This gives our frankincense a unique aroma and quality that has been in high demand from

connoisseurs for millennia (you can find depictions of our regional frankincense adorning the

walls of Queen Hatsheput's temple dating back to 1458 BCE).

The traditional Frankincense harvesters tend their hereditary trees and sell their precious resins

within a status quo that leaves them locked in poverty while others reap the profits and sell as

their own, what has been their unique heritage for thousands of years.

The harvesters need an open and Fair trade market, where they can sell directly to buyers,

dispense with middlemen and reclaim the ancient and revered name of Frankincense from the

Land of Punt.

The sought after and esteemed King of Frankincense, Maydi, or Frankincense Frereana, also

known as Coptic Frankincense, is much rarer than B. Sacra/Carterii and only grows abundantly

in Somalia and neighboring Somaliland with a smattering of trees east to Kenya and perhaps

west to Yemen. (See Maydi the king of Frankincense). It is coveted in Arabian countries as a

high-end natural chewing gum, special occasion incense and medicine. We in the west are the

last to see it due to its extraordinary value in the East. It gets no credit as being the pride of

Puntland or exclusive to Somalia. Nor do the harvesters reap the rewards they should for one of

the worlds rarest resources.

This same area has been managed by our community for generations now, as has our

involvement in the frankincense trade (where we can trace our trading practices back to the

ancient city-port of Aden centuries ago). You could say we have some experience with

sustainably managing our forests, and as you would expect - we take great care to ensure our

heritage is never spoiled through mismanagement and overexploitation.

You could say he was born into this trade, and has had extensive education and experience in all

things frankincense - from taking care of the trees, to harvesting, to properly storing the resins

(which can be challenging in very hot climates)

We are part of this community and heritage. We seek to improve the region, and we want to

ensure a better future for our families and children. We believe this can be best achieved through

good business practices, ethical conduct and opening up new areas of commerce.

From west of the Somali Puntland through the independent state of Somaliland we find much of

our worlds Frankincense and Myrrh trees. Often other, more developed countries across the gulf

who cannot grow enough for their own market demand, purchase these resins at rock bottom

prices from harvesters who have no one else to sell to. They make excellent profits and market

the resins and essential oils as their own.

We can supply you from few grams for personal use to container loads for distillation into

essential oils

When you buy from Soofka Services your Frankincense (Oelbaum) essential oils always

produced from authentic Somalian Maydi or Beyo) frankincense your company also produce

better quality oils more consistently than much of the competition this is because you are dealing

directly with the local frankincense producers, rather than several layers of middlemen.

We offer competitive pricing because you deal directly with local Somali producers (rather

several layers of middlemen in the Middle East & Europe)

We can guarantee continuous supply of high-quality bulk frankincense resins delivered in the

USA and Canada.

WHO WE ARE

As a Somalian venture run by western-educated Somalians who have been part of the

frankincense trade for generations-we naturally feel a great sense of social responsibility. We

started this venture to stop the rampant exploitation of our people and resources, and prove to the

world that you can get authentic Somali frankincense products directly from the actual

producers, and thereby directly benefit the local communities. This means removing as many

middlemen from the distribution chain and sales channels as possible. Our goal is to build and

sustain local production through international trade, and do so for the benefit of our community

and future generations.

We are not international businessmen seeking to exploit the Somalian people, or the lands that

produce our precious frankincense resins.

We are local Somalians educated in the West, and part of the same community that has supplied

the legendary Maydi and Mohor Frankincense for thousands of years. This venture is really an

extension of our heritage.

While we want to grow and be successful ourselves-it is just as important to us to help develop

our community, and prevent the exploitation of our resources.

As members of a community from a relatively poor part of the world - we want to benefit the

place we came from. By building better infrastructure and creating better economic opportunities

for the land of our birth, and the communities that live there.

We pay everyone involved in our business a fair wage, and give them the support they need to

thrive.

We will properly take care of the lands of our heritage. Using sustainable harvesting and

management of the forests that supply us with our birthright. This is a unique and fragile

ecosystem that must be protected.

We actively monitor our harvesting activities, and take special care to never overexploit any tree

to ensure optimal health and quality of the resin produced (we tap each tree only once every 2

years). Overexploitation is a big problem in the frankincense trade, which is why you should

never purchase the lowest grades of frankincense and oils.

We want to inform, educate, and be transparent about the frankincense trade and the way we

conduct business within that trade.

As a source of historical and continued pride - we make sure that all the products we create will

be the very best quality that we can possibly produce We comply with all international quality

standards, regulations and certifications. Our products can be imported into any part of the

world, and are guaranteed to be therapeutic grade. We are currently seeking organic certification

for our frankincense. Since these trees grow without human intervention, they meet all the

recognized guidelines for an organically produced natural substance. Our frankincense for all

intents and purposes is organically produced.

The land where we source our frankincense is part of our heritage. We have an inherent duty to

care for this land, and ensure it can sustainably produce its precious harvest.

You may be aware of the over-exploitation issue that arises from over-tapping frankincense

trees. The trees eventually become too weak and eventually die when continuously over-

exploited. In turn, drastically affecting the communities that depend on these trees.

This does not even benefit companies who source frankincense products, because over-tapped

trees produce continually inferior resins anyway. The diminishing returns are simply not worth

the effort or expense.

Expert recommendations state that trees should be left alone for one full season, after every five

or six seasons of being tapped.

Our trees on the other hand are only tapped once every two years.

We also take care of safety and working conditions for everyone involved in our venture. No one

involved in our operations is ever exploited, overworked, or hurt through negligence.

Furthermore many of our trees have never been tapped at all (over 100,000) because there has

not yet been enough market demand. We could easily double or triple our frankincense resin

production using the same sustainable techniques.

Our mission comes in four parts:

To develop a demand-driven frankincense business that addresses the needs of the market while

benefiting the communities providing the source of the products.

To become a major player in the international frankincense trade by providing authentic and

high-quality products that we (and all our stakeholders) can be proud to be part of.

To build and develop the area and community of our origin, by developing the resources of our

heritage to make the next generation more prosperous.

To prevent the exploitation of a region and valuable resource through destructive

shortsightedness.

Luban Aromatics

Our History

As a team of entrepreneurs from Puntland Region, N. Somalia home of the fabled Somali

Frankincense we have inherited the stewardship of the Frankincense forests and gum trade

from our forefathers. These men used to barter their merchandise in the mid-1900s in Aden

(Yemen). Aden, a British colony in the last century, was an important export hub for

Frankincense trade.

Our goal as the proud inheritors of this genuine natural resource is to take advantage of the

emerging lucrative non-traditional, 21st century market opportunities for trading Frankincense

throughout the global village.

Our core values include:

Using ethical business practices in all dealings

Strict compliance with international quality standards and certification

Producing high quality unadulterated, therapeutic grade products by using top technology

Protecting and respecting the unique, irreplaceable ecosystem