The Ethics of Sourcing from Harvesters

We close this guide with the question at which all the previous axes meet: how is oud sourced from the harvesters with fairness and responsibility? The ethics of sourcing are not a marketing slogan, but three interlinked commitments: fairness to the one who gathers, the sustainability that preserves the source, and respect for the communities upon which the craft rests. In this article we lay out these ethics, and clarify how we view them, honestly and without pretension.

Fairness to the one who gathers

The first of the ethics is that the one who begins the journey be treated fairly. For the gatherer who walks for days, takes risks in the forest, and relies on a lifetime's experience deserves a fair appreciation of his effort, not to be treated as an unknown link in the chain. And fairness here includes appreciating the worth of his work, and not reducing it to the cheapest possible price at the expense of the one who stands at the beginning of the road.

And we are reserved here about exaggeration: we are suppliers who describe a principle we commit to and strive toward, not a body that claims to reform the entire supply chain. For the chain is long and many-brokered, but the direction of the compass is clear: that fairness to the gatherer be a principle, not an exception.

The sustainability that preserves the source

The second of the ethics is sustainability. For we have seen through this guide that the difference between selective gathering and destructive felling determines the future of wild oud. And responsible sourcing encourages the gathering that keeps the trees, appreciates the managed cultivated alternative, and respects the CITES framework we detailed in the history of CITES and oud.

Respect for the communities upon which the craft rests

The third of the ethics is respect for the local communities, which we saw in the role of the local communities are the first link in the oud economy. And respecting them means acknowledging their inherited knowledge, appreciating their role rather than bypassing it, and dealing with them as a partner and not merely a cheap source.

And this respect is not separate from fairness and sustainability, but complements them. For when the communities are respected and treated fairly and their forests preserved, the circle of responsible sourcing is completed: a human being appreciated, a source preserved, and a craft that endures.

How do we view our responsibility?

At Oud Treasure, we see ourselves as a part of this chain, not a guardian over it. We strive for a sourcing that appreciates the gatherer, encourages responsible gathering, and respects the local communities. And we do not claim perfection, nor that we watch over every tree and every broker; but we commit to a clear direction, and we are honest with you in describing it as it is: a principle we work by, and a journey we continually improve.

And with this we conclude the journey of the oud harvesters: from the forest to your hand, the piece has passed through people, effort, and responsibility. And when you acquire an oud whose story you know, you are not buying a scent alone, but appreciating a whole journey. And this is the essence of what we wanted to say in this guide.