An expert transfers Syrian aromatic and medicinal plants to the world

Most of the perfumers inherit their profession in Syria. The package changes, while  the shops, the way of displaying the goods, and the recipe remain constant, leaving their mark in well-known markets such as  Al-Bzoriya in Old Damascus.  According to experts, this mark needs many conditions to become global despite Syria’s fame for the diversity of its aromatic and medicinal plants and its good specifications.

Head of the Syrian Scientific Society for Medicinal Herbs, Complementary Medicine and Nutrition, Dr. Shadi Khatib, noted that many of the local medical herbs in the markets are natural and need organic product certificates to be able to enter the global markets.

The perfumers who are currently working are people who are not sufficiently trained, despite the fact that some have experience as a result of the accumulation of information over time, Al-Khatib said,  underlining the  importance of fighting against grazing or excessive harvest that threatens the extinction of some species of plants. He also highlighted the necessity of legalizing the profession of perfumers and allowing graduates of the Faculty of Pharmacy specializing in drugs and medicinal plants to open special centers in alternative therapies similar to the countries of the world. 

The Syrian environment offers many and varied aromatic plants as well as wild spiny species which are world-famous, Al-Khatib said , pointing to promising attempts to cultivate many kinds of  plants under the supervision of agricultural research bodies.

Al-Khatib clarified that many mistakes are made in taking medicinal herbs, including relying on unreliable sources such as social media to obtain information about the use of these herbs without consulting specialists to treat a disease and stop using the medications specified by the doctor, which causes an exacerbation of the disease and may threaten the patient’s life.  He warned that the unstudied doses of some herbs have a toxic effect.

Al-Khatib also warned against storing herbs in the wrong way, especially seeds, which causes the appearance of a toxic substance, noting that dampness and lack of proper drying may lead to the emergence of weed mites.

He said that there are unlicensed products bearing the phrase “100 percent natural”, but in fact they are mixed with chemical compounds to accelerate effectiveness and show quick results, such as weight loss mixtures, which cause serious effects on public health.

The figures of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform show that the total organic areas planted with licensed natural and aromatic plants are 25 dunums in Damascus.  Director of the Organic Production Office in the Ministry, Dr. Mazen Madani, said  that that organic farming in a simplified way means farming without the use of chemicals. The certification of an organic product is granted by internationally accredited companies, and there is one in Syria. Without this certificate, the crops are sold at a reduced price, indicating

In al-Buzouriya market in old Damascus, the perfumer Osama Mahra  who has been working for many years in the field of the medicinal herbs market, referred to the difficulties he is currently facing such as the high transportation costs because it comes from other governorates to Damascus, as well as the shortage of some of its types as a result of the fires that were exposed to the forests.

Inas Abdulkareem