Incense Explorer: A Deep Dive into Incense History, Culture, Ritual and Lore · Alyssa Severeid

Frankincense and the Importance of Traceability in the Supply Chain with Stephen Johnson

·1 hr 1 min·2 clips

Incense has delighted humans for thousands of years—medicine, sacrament, and simple olfactory pleasure rolled into one.

Steven Johnson, founder of Fair Source Botanicals, discusses building transparent frankincense supply chains using blockchain and mobile money to support East African harvesters while ensuring ecosystem sustainability. He explains how 24 Boswellia species require species-specific conservation approaches, contrasts his business model with traditional NGO charity, and describes direct community engagement that revealed harvester interest in transparency. The conversation covers supply chain technology, conservation research in Oman, and the collaborative approach needed to drive systemic change across botanical supply chains globally.

As heard by us

A careful look at incense sourcing, ecology, and supply-chain pressures around frankincense and myrrh.

The episode follows incense from the tree to the trade route, where species names, country labels, and harvesting realities do not always align neatly.

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Why you'd press play

Trace frankincense from tree tapping to the supply-chain questions behind the resin, trade, and conservation.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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