Niaouli Oil Production – A Community Venture in Rural Madagascar
Niaouli essential oil (Melaleuca viridiflora) is extracted from the leaves of the niaouli tree, which grows in abundance in Madagascar. Highly sought after for its medicinal properties, the oil belongs to the same family as tea tree oil and has similar antiseptic, antibacterial and stimulating qualities. Niaouli oil is widely used to help clear infections such as bronchitis, sore throats, catarrh and sinusitis and as a disinfectant for treating acne, cuts and insect bites.
On the east coast of Madagascar, near Manakara, a small rural community is involved in the production of niaouli oil. The people of this community find it extremely difficult to make a living from farming and most barely survive on less than a dollar a day. To make matters worse, the area is subject to cyclones, tropical storms and flooding with often devastating consequences for the inhabitants. So opportunities to generate income from other sources are vital. The locals use the profits from the sale of niaouli oil to buy basic necessities such as rice, kerosene, soap and schoolbooks. The community works in partnership with La Maison Afrique, a Swedish Fair Trade Organisation, which gives economic support through advance payments and interest free loans and strives to place regular orders so that the community can plan ahead.
The local pastor, Martin Rakotosaminanana, organises the rural population so that the leaves from the wild growing niaouli trees are collected and distilled. When orders for niaouli oil are received, about 30 local people are employed three days a week to collect the leaves and distil the oil. Before starting work, the community collaborates with the local branch office of the Ministry for Water and Forests. To ensure environmental sustainability of plant resources, the ministry controls the harvesting of vegetal materials and needs to give their approval before any leaves are collected. This ensures that the trees are not over-exploited, thus ensuring that the resource is available for future generations.
When enough leaves are gathered, they are brought to a small production plant, where the oil is extracted through steam distillation. About 4-5 kg of pure essential oil is produced after about 6 hours. The oil is collected and samples are taken to the laboratory at the IMRA (Insitut Malgache de Recherches Appliquees), a centre for biodiversity conservation and scientific research. The oil is tested and analysed for quality assurance and to ensure that the oil meets international export standards.
Tags: essential oils
