Bad news for sacristans this week: we could be facing an incense crisis, as the number of Boswellia trees plummets. As a report in the Church Times explains, “Resin tapped from Boswellia trees hardens into frankincense, which is the base ingredient for most incense burned in churches.” An article in Nature Sustainability warns that frankincense production could fall by half in the next 20 years – though the authors propose ways to conserve Boswellia, such as fire-breaks and cattle enclosures.
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