Raw Naturals
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Wholesale botanical raw materials · Est. 1950

From Ancient Origins. For Modern Industry.

Frankincense, galbanum, essential oils, saffron, almonds and specialty botanicals, sourced at origin across the Silk Route, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa for manufacturers, formulators and fragrance houses worldwide.

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WholesaleB2B supply only
Origin-focusedSourced at source
Relationship-drivenSince 1950
A harvester tapping a Boswellia tree for frankincense resin, collecting it in a woven basket in the drylands of the Horn of Africa
Boswellia harvestHorn of Africa
  • Frankincense
  • Galbanum
  • Essential Oils
  • Saffron
  • Almonds
  • Wildcrafted Botanicals

Rooted in the Silk Route

Nature has a history. We work where it begins.

“Strong relationships create strong trade.”

Raw Naturals traces its story to the trading traditions of the ancient Silk Route, where caravans once linked Central Asia, Persia, Arabia and Africa.

Since 1950, our business has grown from regional agricultural trade into an international wholesale sourcing network. We connect farmers, harvesters and cooperatives across Central Asia and Africa with manufacturers, fragrance houses, food producers and ingredient distributors around the world.

From frankincense gathered in the drylands of Somalia to saffron grown in the highlands of Central Asia, our work begins at origin. From our head office in Toronto and our network in Nairobi, Mogadishu, Marrakesh and Kabul, we build every supply relationship on the same principle merchants have followed for centuries.

1950Founded on the historic Silk Route
5Hubs across North America, Africa and Central Asia
3Sourcing regions: Central Asia, East & Horn of Africa, North Africa
B2BWholesale, commercial and industrial buyers only

Products

The materials we trade

Aromatic resins, essential oils, spices and agricultural ingredients, each traceable to the region where it was grown or gathered. Select a material for applications, origin and supply terms.

Frankincense resin being collected from a Boswellia tree

Ancient resin. Exceptional origin.

Frankincense has been traded across Africa, Arabia, Persia and Asia for thousands of years. We source selected resin from producing regions in Somalia and East Africa, where Boswellia trees grow wild in some of the world’s most demanding landscapes.

Applications

  • Essential oil distillation
  • Perfumery
  • Incense manufacturing
  • Botanical extraction
  • Resin processing
  • Traditional preparations

Supply

Commercial volumes and origin-specific material, subject to harvest conditions.

Enquire about frankincense
Raw Naturals frankincense essential oil in a 2 lb aluminium bottle, steam distilled from Boswellia carterii, product of Somalia

Distilled from one of history’s most celebrated botanicals.

Frankincense oil remains one of the most important natural aromatic materials in fragrance, aromatherapy, personal care and botanical formulation. Ours is produced from carefully sourced resin, with the focus on aromatic character, origin integrity and dependable commercial supply.

Supplied to

  • Fragrance houses
  • Cosmetic manufacturers
  • Aromatherapy companies
  • Essential oil distributors
  • Natural product brands
  • Contract manufacturers

Supply

Bulk quantities for qualified wholesale buyers. GC-MS analysis available on request.

Enquire about frankincense oil
Gum resinFerula gummosa

A remarkable aromatic heritage.

Valued since antiquity for its green, resinous and balsamic character, galbanum was traded throughout Persia and Central Asia and remains important in fine fragrance and natural perfumery. We work with sourcing partners in producing regions to supply buyers who need a distinctive aromatic raw material.

Applications

  • Fine fragrance
  • Natural perfumery
  • Resinoids
  • Extracts
  • Botanical formulations
  • Aroma ingredients

Supply

Available through origin partners. Grades and volumes discussed per enquiry.

Enquire about galbanum
Close-up of deep crimson saffron threads

One flower. Three threads. Centuries of tradition.

Each Crocus sativus flower yields only three crimson stigmas, picked by hand in a short seasonal window. We work with growers and regional suppliers across Central Asia to supply saffron to wholesale food, ingredient and specialty markets.

We focus on

  • Origin
  • Aroma
  • Colour
  • Clean handling
  • Consistency
  • Commercial traceability

Supply

Wholesale quantities according to grade and seasonal availability.

Enquire about saffron
Shelled almonds spilling from a red ceramic bowl onto burlap

From orchard to international market.

Central Asia has cultivated tree nuts for generations. Our partners farm regions where orchards benefit from dry climates, strong seasonal variation and long farming experience.

Supplied to

  • Ingredient distributors
  • Food processors
  • Confectionery manufacturers
  • Bakers and food brands
  • Bulk commodity buyers

Supply

Specifications by variety, grade, processing and commercial volume. In-shell and shelled.

Enquire about almonds
Wild harvestedWhere nature intended

Harvested where nature intended them to grow.

Wildcrafted botanicals develop under natural conditions, often in remote places where local harvesters know the plant, the season and the terrain through generations of experience. We source selected wild materials with responsible collection and long-term preservation in mind. Wild ingredients should remain wild for generations to come.

We prioritise naturally grown, wildcrafted and organic materials where commercially available. Certified organic documentation is confirmed per product, origin and shipment.

Enquire about wild botanicals
Custom sourcingWe may already know where it grows

Looking for something specific?

Our network reaches well beyond the materials listed here. For established wholesale customers we can evaluate other resins, gums, seeds, herbs, custom-origin essential oils and specialty plant materials from our operating regions.

See custom sourcing

HS headings are indicative for customs classification. Final classification is confirmed per shipment and destination.

Who we work with

Built for industry

Whether you need several kilograms of a specialty botanical or commercial quantities of an agricultural raw material, our team will discuss origin, availability, specifications and logistics with you.

Wholesale only

Raw Naturals is not a consumer retail brand. We supply businesses in bulk and commercial quantities.

  • Fragrance Houses
  • Essential Oil Companies
  • Cosmetic Manufacturers
  • Food Manufacturers
  • Ingredient Distributors
  • Botanical Extractors
  • Natural Product Companies
  • Spice Importers
  • Nutraceutical Manufacturers
  • Contract Manufacturers
  • Private Label Companies
  • Industrial Buyers

Our story

A story rooted along the ancient Silk Route

The story of Raw Naturals begins in 1950 in the Wakhan Corridor, one of the great crossroads of Central Asia. For centuries its valleys, mountain passes and trading settlements linked Persia, South Asia and China.

Caravans carried spices, resins, herbs, textiles and agricultural goods along these routes. Behind every commodity was something more important: relationships between growers, merchants, families and communities.

That philosophy is still at the heart of Raw Naturals. Our world has changed dramatically since 1950. Our belief in origin has not.

A farmer in a white turban checks the almond harvest in an orchard
Almond orchard · Central Asia
  1. 1950

    Trade begins in the Wakhan Corridor

    A family trading business on one of the historic gateways of the Silk Route, dealing in regional agricultural goods.

  2. Generations

    From regional trade to international sourcing

    Relationships with growers and harvesters widen across Central Asia and into East Africa and the Horn of Africa.

  3. Today

    Toronto head office, five-hub network

    A wholesale supplier serving buyers worldwide, with a network in Nairobi, Mogadishu, Marrakesh and Kabul.

Know the land.

Know the people.

Know the product.

Good materials begin with good relationships. Natural ingredients are shaped by soil, climate, rainfall, altitude, harvesting practice and generations of knowledge, and above all by people. We look for long-term relationships over purely transactional buying. That gives buyers more consistency, gives producers stronger commercial opportunities and builds a supply chain on mutual respect.

Global network

Origin intelligence. Global reach.

Five hubs connect the regions where our materials grow with the markets that buy them. Toronto runs the commercial side. The other four keep us close to origin.

Raw Naturals network map Equirectangular chart plotting the Toronto head office and hubs in Marrakesh, Nairobi, Mogadishu and Kabul, with the Wakhan Corridor marked as the company's place of origin. ATLANTIC OCEAN SAHARA INDIAN OCEAN SILK ROUTE TorontoHEAD OFFICE MarrakeshN. AFRICA HUB NairobiE. AFRICA HUB MogadishuFRANKINCENSE ORIGIN KabulCENTRAL ASIA WAKHAN · 1950
Head officeRegional hub & origin networkWhere it began

Global head office

Toronto

Canada

Our commercial headquarters and main link to international customers, logistics partners and global markets.

43.65° N · 79.38° W

East Africa hub

Nairobi

Kenya

Access to East African botanical supply chains, exporters and one of Africa’s major logistics centres.

1.29° S · 36.82° E

Frankincense origin

Mogadishu

Somalia

Direct links with collectors, traders and communities close to the origin of Boswellia resin.

2.05° N · 45.32° E

N. Africa & Mediterranean

Marrakesh

Morocco

One of the oldest traditions of botanical commerce, at the crossroads of Africa, Arabia and Europe.

31.63° N · 7.99° W

Central Asia network

Kabul

Afghanistan

Growers and partners supplying saffron, nuts and botanicals. For us, part of our heritage.

34.53° N · 69.17° E

Sourcing & quality

Natural products are never generic.

Two ingredients with the same botanical name can perform very differently. That is why we source origin-first, and why the supply chain starts long before the purchase order.

Technicians loading jute sacks of raw botanical material into stainless-steel processing vessels
From sack to still · Raw material entering processing

Seven questions we ask before we buy

  1. Where was the product grown?
  2. Who harvested it?
  3. When was it harvested?
  4. How was it handled?
  5. How was it stored?
  6. How was it processed?
  7. How can quality be kept in transit?

What shapes a natural material:

ClimateSoilRainfallAltitudePlant ageGeneticsHarvest timingStorageProcessing

Quality programmes, built to your specification

Testing is arranged by product category and customer specification. Samples may be available to qualified buyers before a commercial order.

  • Origin documentation
  • Batch identification
  • Supplier documentation
  • Organoleptic evaluation
  • Moisture analysis
  • Microbiological testing
  • GC-MS for selected essential oils
  • Botanical identification
  • Residue & contaminant testing
  • Third-party laboratory analysis
Two women hand-crack argan kernels and press oil on a stone mill, seated on woven Moroccan textiles
Hand-processing argan kernels · Morocco

Community & sustainability

Every ingredient has a human story.

Frankincense begins with harvesters crossing remote drylands.

Saffron begins with growers picking delicate flowers by hand.

Almonds begin in orchards tended season after season.

Community

Supporting the people behind the ingredients

  • Long-term trade relationships

    We favour continuity over opportunistic buying, building stronger links between producers and international markets.

  • Local participation

    Where possible, harvesting, sorting, collection and first processing stay with the communities at origin.

  • Knowledge preservation

    Many botanicals depend on knowledge passed between generations. Responsible trade gives that knowledge an economic reason to continue.

  • Fair commercial relationships

    Producers are partners in the supply chain, not invisible participants at the bottom of it.

  • Market access

    Connecting regional producers with international buyers opens opportunities beyond local markets.

Sustainability

Protecting what cannot be replaced

  • Harvest responsibly

    Wild resources are collected with future regeneration and long-term availability in mind.

  • Source with traceability

    Knowing where an ingredient comes from tells buyers about its quality, character and supply conditions.

  • Reduce unnecessary intermediaries

    Closer ties with origin partners improve transparency and keep more value in producing regions.

  • Respect local ecosystems

    Different plants, regions and climates need different harvesting methods. We start by understanding them.

  • Build for the long term

    Sustainable trade looks beyond a single season. Sustainability is about what remains for the next generation.

The Silk Route

Trade before borders

Long before modern supply chains, goods crossed thousands of kilometres of mountains, deserts and civilisations. The network we now call the Silk Route connected China, Central Asia, Persia, Arabia, Africa and Europe, and merchants traded far more than silk.

The ships are larger now, and communication is faster. The essence of trade is remarkably unchanged.

Ideastravelled with spices
Languagestravelled with textiles
Knowledgetravelled with merchants

One community produces something exceptional, and another part of the world values it. Our job is to connect them.

From the Wakhan Corridor to the world

Why Raw Naturals

A trading house, not a middleman

Natural raw materials vary by region, climate, harvest and processing method. That complexity is part of their value, and it is what we are built to manage.

  • Closer to origin

    Relationships where materials are actually grown, collected and processed.

  • Wholesale expertise

    Designed around commercial customers who need dependable volumes and professional supply.

  • Diverse origins

    A network across Central Asia, East Africa, the Horn of Africa and North Africa.

  • Traditional knowledge

    Materials from regions where botanical knowledge passes between generations.

  • Responsible trade

    Long-term relationships that respect both buyers and origin communities.

  • International logistics

    A global network that connects remote producing regions with customers worldwide.

  • Product knowledge

    We know how region, climate, harvest and processing change a material’s performance.

  • Tell us the material, volume, specification and destination.

    Start an enquiry

Wholesale only

Built for commercial supply

Raw Naturals is a B2B wholesale supplier. We do not sell consumer-size retail packs. Our operation is set up for businesses that need:

  • Bulk quantities
  • Recurring supply
  • Commercial documentation
  • Export logistics
  • Product specifications
  • Origin information
  • Sample evaluation
  • Contract supply arrangements

Private & contract sourcing

Looking for something specific?

Our sourcing network extends beyond the ingredients on this site. For established wholesale customers, we can evaluate additional natural materials from our operating regions.

BotanicalsResinsEssential oilsSpicesNutsSeedsHerbsNatural gumsAgricultural ingredientsSpecialty plant materials

Tell us what you are looking for. We may already know where it grows.

Request custom sourcing

Request a quote

Source from origin.

Whether you are developing a fragrance, manufacturing botanical products, sourcing food ingredients or looking for a dependable raw-material partner, we would be pleased to discuss your requirements.

01 · MaterialWhat you need
02 · Volumekg or metric tonnes
03 · SpecificationGrade, form, testing
04 · DestinationCountry and port

Raw Naturals
Toronto · Nairobi · Mogadishu · Marrakesh · Kabul

Wholesale enquiry

Our team will review availability within our sourcing network.

Enter your name.

Enter your company name.

Enter a valid email address, like name@company.com.

Choose a material, or Custom sourcing.

For wholesale and commercial buyers only.