Abstract:

Nearly every human being benefits from medicines derived from wild plants. The poor in developing countries are particularly reliant on plant-based medicines and frequently also on the income provided by harvest of plants for sale. However, many wild plant species are at risk from overuse and habitat loss and so are the healthcare systems and livelihoods they support. The decline in plant populations is often the result of demand within urban and foreign markets, rather than to meet the healthcare needs of the local population: demand for natural products in food, cosmetics and medicinal market sectors is growing worldwide, posing socio-economic problems, and opportunities, in countries of origin, as well as ecological problems. This report presents a description of the project “Saving Plants that Save Lives and Livelihoods”, implemented by TRAFFIC and its partners WWF, IUCN and others, which addresses a growing demand from industry, governments, certification bodies, resource managers and donor agencies for specific guidance on sustainable wild plant collection practices.