“ When in doubt get your Spikenard out.”
— Dr. Hill
The Cō-Impact Sourcing ® initiative in Nepal has brought many benefits to the Nepalese people. One of the biggest has been creating added jobs involved in Spikenard harvesting, drying, and distillation. The Himalayan regions of western Nepal, where the vast majority of the Spikenard is harvested, is one of the country’ s poorest areas, so any economic activity that we can bring to the region is a great benefit.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NEPALESE HARVESTER
Harvesting Spikenard is a very time-consuming and challenging activity. It only grows in the higher altitudes— 3,000 m to 5,000 m( about 9,850 ft. to 16,400 ft.)— and generally on the cooler, western side of steep hills( 40 °– 70 ° inclined slopes). Accessing these locations takes multiple days and requires the harvesters, who also tend to be goat herders, to set up a basecamp from which they work. Because they are harvesting the roots, harvesters have to dig them out of the ground, clean off the dirt, and keep going all day. The Spikenard harvest is restricted to a few months of the year so they have to work quickly and carefully to ensure that the plants will regrow for the next harvest. It is physically demanding working at those altitudes and requires long stints away from their homes and families.
Finding new oils to source is not our only objective. We want to help build the individuals, regions, and countries that we come in contact with. We also want to make sure those sourcing the oils have the resources to increase their income. One of our objectives in Nepal is to help them cultivate Spikenard. Our hope is that through cultivation we will increase the amount of root material that the plants produce and make accessing the plants less time consuming. The second objective is a project to install solar dryers so the harvesters can dry the roots rather than selling the fresh roots to a drying facility.
“ The majority of Spikenard’ s chemistry is comprised of four or five compounds, and it makes up from 60 – 70 percent of its chemistry. It is a fairly dominant type profile that we always expect in Spikenard. In our Spikenard essential oil, we have identified 170 different compounds. Not only do we have vast amounts of chemistry, but we have non-focused chemistry. The complete opposite of what we see with essential oils that are more dominant. So what does this all mean? Spikenard will do almost everything,” explains Dr. David K. Hill, D. C.
The Nepalese people are strong, hardworking, and hopeful— hopeful for a better, more independent life. Through doTERRA’ s Co-Impact Sourcing they have found that hope. With doTERRA’ s help, they are creating and sustaining their families and communities, all while growing in their knowledge of the land. The harvesting and distillation of Spikenard will not only benefit those sourcing it but those who partake of it. With Spikenard’ s many benefits and uses, it’ s no wonder Dr. Hill says,“ When in doubt get your Spikenard out.”
FACT: It took the Spikenard film crew eight days of trekking on foot to get to the areas where they could capture the needed footage. doterra. com / 31