Medicinal plant initiative

Plantlife is currently drawing up plans for this initiative in collaboration with experts in medicinal plant conservation from around the world. The aim is to build capacity for the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants. Plantlife will contribute to the development of case studies that demonstrate how awareness can be built about this issue, and vital knowledge accumulated on the best approaches.

Rytiginia, used for de-worming in central Africa
©Alan Hamilton

Medicinal plants represents the biggest use by man of the natural world in terms of numbers of species - probably around 50,000 plant species, representing about one in six of all higher plants. The use of medicinal plants is increasing, with the great majority of plants collected from the wild, often endangering populations of plants.

Conservation and livelihoods are closely linked with medicinal plants. If conserved, medicinal plants will continue to be available to provide continuing benefits for healthcare and income. Many poor rural people in developing countries are involved in the collection of medicinal plants for sale.

The Medicinal Plants Initiative is concentrating its activities in three parts of the world, the Himalayas, east Africa and south east Europe, with programmes of work being developed in each area according to needs. A grant from the Allachy Trust -The Allachy Fund for Livelihoods from Wild Plants - will soon be available to support small awards for applicants from developing countries who can demonstrate innovative approaches.

• The Himalayas component will initially concentrate on the identification of Important Plant Areas for medicinal plants in the Himalayas, with the aim of building regional collaboration in medicinal plant conservation.
  
• Consultations are in hand, but the east African component will likely concentrate on finding ways of ensuring the availability of medicinal plants to support home healthcare.
  
• The south east European component will focus on developing community-based approaches to medicinal plant conservation, with the aim of achieving sustainable harvesting of these resources. Large quantities of medicinal plants are collected in south east Europe to sell to the herbal industry in western Europe.