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In the shadow of conflict, a vital ingredient in Coca-Cola and other popular products is being smuggled out of Sudan, complicating efforts by Western companies to maintain ethical supply chains. Gum arabic, a natural substance harvested from acacia trees, is essential for mixing, stabilizing, and thickening ingredients in everything from soft drinks to sweets like M&M’s. Sudan, which produces around 80% of the world’s gum arabic, has become a hotspot for illicit trade as the country grapples with ongoing conflict.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), engaged in a brutal war with Sudan’s national army since April 2023, have seized control of the main gum-harvesting regions of Kordofan and Darfur. This has led to the raw product being marketed by Sudanese traders who pay fees to the RSF, and then smuggled to neighboring countries without proper certification. The lack of oversight has made it difficult for companies to ensure their supply chains are free from conflict-related products.
Traders in countries with lower gum arabic production, such as Chad and Senegal, or those that barely exported it before the war, like Egypt and South Sudan, have begun offering the commodity at cheap prices. This has raised concerns among buyers about the origins of the gum and whether it is conflict-free. The opaque nature of the trade has made it challenging for global ingredients makers to verify the source of their supplies.
Herve Canevet, a Global Marketing Specialist at Eco-Agri, a Singapore-based supplier of specialty food ingredients, noted the difficulty in determining the origins of gum arabic. “Today, the gum in Sudan, I would say all of it is smuggled, because there’s no real authority in the country,” he said. The Association for International Promotion of Gums (AIPG), an industry lobby, stated that it does not see any evidence of links between the gum arabic supply chain and the competing Sudanese forces. However, industry sources warn that the new trade in gum risks infiltrating the procurement systems of global ingredients makers.
Companies like Nexira, Alland & Robert, and Ingredion buy a refined version of the amber-colored gum, turn it into emulsifiers, and sell it to big consumer goods firms. Ingredion has diversified its sourcing since the start of the war to include other countries such as Cameroon. Nexira has also cut its imports from Sudan and broadened its sourcing to ten other countries. Despite these efforts, the risk of conflict-related gum entering the supply chain remains a concern.
The RSF has defended its role in the gum arabic trade, claiming that it has protected the trade and only collected small fees. However, the group’s involvement in the conflict and control over the main harvesting regions have raised questions about the legitimacy of their claims. Last month, the RSF signed a charter with allied groups establishing a parallel government in the parts of Sudan it controls, further complicating the situation.
The smuggling of gum arabic from Sudan highlights the challenges faced by companies in maintaining ethical supply chains in conflict zones. As the global demand for this vital ingredient continues, the need for transparency and accountability in the trade becomes even more critical. The international community must work together to address the root causes of the conflict and ensure that the trade in gum arabic does not fuel further instability in the region.
The journey of gum arabic from the conflict-ridden regions of Sudan to the shelves of supermarkets around the world is a stark reminder of the complexities of global supply chains. As consumers, we must remain vigilant and demand greater transparency from the companies we support. Only through collective action can we hope to create a more ethical and sustainable future for all.