Endo and exogenous environmental aspects of natural resins production and distribution in India

Abstract

Natural resins and gums (NRGs) are commodities produced in arid, semi-arid, plateau and hilly region of the country that help to improve the livelihood of local communities. These also contribute to the amelioration of environment degradation through sustainable lac cultivation on host trees besides foreign exchange earnings. NRGs have a wide variety of traditional and industrial uses, and are an important source of income to semi-nomadic people. NRGs are low volume, high value produce. In some NRG based products, value addition through primary processing tend to very high returns. Developing products of commercial use would further augment returns, employment and foreign exchange. In India lac and guar gum are processed but for most of other resins and gums processing and value addition is meager. The industrial applications of gum and resin have expanded tremendously in recent years. They are used in many unrelated industries such as paper, textile, petroleum, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, varnishes, lacquers, etc.