So What is Gum Arabic Anyway?

Gum Arabic is a highly prized resin used for a variety of purposes such as adding to cosmetics, lotions, paint, adhesives, soda, candy and marshmallows. Gum Arabic resin is harvested from two species of Acacia trees, specifically Acacia seyel and Acacia senegal. The Acacia trees grow in several African countries, however the majority of Gum Arabic is harvested in Sudan. Sudan harvests roughly 60 % of the world's Gum Arabic. This figure represents a significant decline of Sudan's harvests since the 1990's.

Oddly enough Gum Arabic resin is produced by sick and or wounded trees. This happens because Acacia trees' production of resin is a defensive measure. When the trees are ill and their protective bark is damaged the trees produce a thick sap which fills the damaged portion of the bark. The sap oozes out and soon dries in teardrop shapes becoming quite hard. The resin protects the tree from insects and pathogenic fungus that might otherwise invade the injured part of the tree bark.

Gum Arabic is a precious commodity and materialistic owners of the trees are not content to wait for the trees to emit Gum Arabic resin naturally. Owners generally speed up the process by deliberately injuring the trees. This is done by workers who gouge holes in the trees' bark and or remove strips of bark from the tree forcing the tree to protect itself by producing sap. Once the sap hardens into tears it is manually harvested by workers who hand-pick it. Legend has it that the Moor's who used to harvest the tears could subsist on nothing but the very nutritious resin.

After harvesting workers sort the tears according to quality. The quality of any piece of the resin is readily discernible from its color. White gum Arabic is considered to be the most potent and pure. Yellow and Red Gum Arabic resins are considered to be of medium quality, while brown resin is the lowest quality available.

Much of Gum Arabic's value comes from its nutritional content. Its nutritional value makes it a very desirable food additive. The resin is also useful for manufacturing food and cosmetics due to its ability to emulsify oil and water. Its ability to emulsify makes it a useful ingredient in creams, lotions and confections such as frosting. The resin is also used in the adhesive on the back of many stamps.

The availability of Gum Arabic has been reduced in recent years by the instability in Sudan resulting from the conflict occurring in Darfur. Many of the very valuable Acacia trees have been cut down by desperate, indigent people who sell the trees for firewood and timber. In 2007 Sudan's President also threatened to stop export of Gum Arabic in response to the threat of sanctions from the United States. At this time the future of Gum Arabic is very much in question.