Frankincense trade and production has been an essential part of Somaliland
history and has helped sustain many Somali families for hundreds of years.
Today Frankincense still holds an important place in Somali society.
Frankincense producing communities believe that Frankincense property is their
share of the equitable distribution of resources that Allah has provided them
(Farah 32).

Rights over Frankincense bearing species are divided up among lineages according
to the land that is customarily associated with those lineages. Although the
Frankincense fields may be claimed by each lineage, pasturage, water and
other naturally occurring products on that land are considered communal
property (Farah 40). There are many complexities surrounding the inheritance
and land holding of Frankincense fields, but generally it follows a patrilineal
system where property is inherited through the male line.

Frankincense production is often a less desirable form of subsistence, generally
because frankincense production tends to benefit the trader or the middleman
rather than the producer. A certain amount of danger is also associated with
the harvesting of Frankincense because of the environment the tree grows in
(specifically meydi and beyo), which is usually on elevated rocky ledges (Farah
49). For this reason harvesters are usually semi-settled herd poor tenants who
rent the land from absentee landholders. (Farah 48). Despite this a small
number of village-based collectors do exist (Farah 48).

Working with Frankincense is considered a male activity. Men and boys tap and
collect the sap from trees, while woman tend to perform supplementary
activities such as basket weaving, water vessel preparing,and the dividing of
Frankincense into grades (Farah 64). Somali families have many uses for
Frankincense. These include household fumigation, medicinal uses, and the use
of tannins in the bark to sterilize water vessels. Somali's, almost exclusively
Muslim, most often use Frankincense in religious ceremonies (Farah 80).
Frankincense has many cultural uses that reach beyond Somali society into many
                                  part of the world.