Foy, Guinea will soon be able to produce the essential oils widely used in producing food, perfumes and cosmetics. Based on a device developed by the CRIQ to help small Quebec producers extract similar oils, Guinean researchers have designed their own equipment. Almost 20 small Quebec businesses use the CRIQ apparatus to distill oils from trees such as the balsam fir, eastern white cedar, and pine, as well as from local plants such as mint and tarragon. In Guinea, plant life is rich and varied. Several original varieties of basil, and others plants in the same family, grow in this West African country.
Basil oil is used in cosmetics and foods throughout the world.
With financial support from IDRC, researchers from CRIQ, Guinea, and Morocco are studying the commercial potential of basil oil production by small Guinean farmers. A recent study will show us if the oil can be sold at an acceptable price that is, a price that would make commercial manufacture viable. Researchers collected basil plants from the Guinean forest and from farmers and selected those with the best characteristics. With technical assistance from CRIQ, four distillation facilities were built for testing production. Farmers then grew the selected plants in small plots.