Gum Arabic from Sahel African acacias is used in hundreds of products: what is worth knowing

The conflict in Sudan has focused attention on a rarely discussed product: gum arabic. This product, the dried sap of certain species of acacias, is mainly used as an additive in the soft drink industry. Sudan accounts for around 70% of global gum arabic exports. Sustainable food systems expert Asgar Ali answers questions about the commodity and its prospects.

What is gum arabic?

Acacia gum, commonly called gum arabic, is derived from certain types of acacia trees: senegal senegal and vachellia seyal.

The sap is extracted from acacia trees by cutting incisions in the bark that allow the liquid to seep. After that, the sap turns into gum.

Its distinct qualities and water solubility make it useful in a variety of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and personal care. It is an ingredient in processed foods, soft drinks and candy, a thickening agent in chewing gum, a binder in watercolor paints, as an additive in ceramic glazes and an adhesive in rolling papers used in cigarettes. It is a well-known emulsifier, an additive that helps two liquids mix. It is also used in textiles and medicines.

Gum Arabic has been around for a long time. Its first recorded use dates back to 2000 BC. C., when the ancient Egyptians used it in food, hieroglyphic paintings and mummification ointments.

Where is it produced?

Gum Arabic is produced mainly in the Sahel area of ​​Africa, the region that extends from Senegal on the Atlantic coast, through parts of Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Sudan to Eritrea on the coast of the Red Sea. In East Africa, it is produced in Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania.

Sudan is a major producer and a key player in the processing and exporting of premium gum arabic to markets around the world. Another well-known producer, Chad, has also advanced its gum arabic extraction capacity.

The Sahel is dry and semi-arid, ideal for acacia plants.

Furthermore, the climate of the Sahel is perfect for sap collection. During the sap collection season, high temperatures, low humidity, and little rain cause the sap to dry and harden quickly once it seeps through cuts in the tree’s bark. Then it is harvested.

There is an extensive value chain (a range of activities from agriculture to processing and marketing) for gum arabic in Africa, especially in Sudan and Chad. These countries have vast forests and acacia plantations and rubber processing facilities.

Gum Arabic is an important agricultural product in Sudan after oilseeds. Almost half of Sudan’s production (49.3%) comes from the Kordofan region. The regions of Kassala (24.4%), Darfur (23.4%) and White and Blue Nile (2.9%) account for the other half. In 2019, Sudan exported rubber mainly to the European Union (51,060,900 kg), India (13,414,300 kg) and the United Kingdom (3,299,710 kg).

The market is quite liberalized in Sudan, where private entities clean, sort, grade and package the chewing gum at processing facilities. Until 2009, a monopoly existed in Sudan: the partly state-owned Gum Arabic Company was the only entity allowed to export the product.

What are its uses?

In the Sahel, gum arabic has been used for centuries to stabilize and thicken foods. It is also used medicinally to relieve a sore throat and help with digestive problems.

Since the industrial revolution, rubber has been used on an industrial scale:

• In the food and beverage sector, gum arabic serves as an emulsifier and stabilizer. It is frequently used to improve texture and mouthfeel, and to prevent crystallization in processed foods, soft drinks and confectionery.

• In pharmaceuticals, it is used to encapsulate pills, prepare solutions, and bind tablets.

• In textiles it is used to fix colors in printing and dyeing.

• In photography and painting it is used as a coating for light-sensitive items and as a binder for paints.

What are your perspectives?

Gum Arabic has bright future prospects for several reasons.

It is ideally positioned to meet the growing demand for natural ingredients in the food sector.

Its dietary fiber content allows it to find new uses as a nutritional supplement.

Gum Arabic may find new uses in various sectors thanks to continuous research and innovation, expanding its market.

What are the threats?

Political instability could have a significant impact on the gum arabic market, particularly in Sudan.

Sudan has been a key player in the gum arabic industry for decades. But it has faced political instability, civil conflict and economic challenges. Exports from Darfur and Kordofan have been severely affected since the start of the war and suppliers warn that their reserves could soon run out if fighting continues. A drop in production would mean reduced or less reliable exports, affecting the global supply chain.

International buyers often look for stable sources of raw materials to ensure a constant supply, and political instability in Sudan could make this difficult.

Somalia is not as big a producer as Sudan. But the country’s prolonged political instability and conflict has disrupted its agricultural and export sectors, including gum arabic production. This reduces the overall size of the market and limits Somalia’s ability to participate in the international gum arabic trade.

Sustainable acacia cultivation and good gum harvesting practices will be essential to ensure a reliable, long-term supply of gum arabic, helping its prospects.