ISHS Acta Horticulturae 629: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: The Future for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
TRANSLATING TRIBAL PLANTS: ISSUES OF SUSTAINABILITY |
| Author: | C. Kilham |
| Keywords: | Ethnobotany, medicinal plants, traditional medicines |
| Abstract:
The globalization of information and increased awareness of plant resources of all kinds has spurred tremendous demand for a wide variety of plant materials. From specialty coffees to aromatherapy oils to medicinal plant remedies from faraway places, the world market shows a voracious appetite for plants. Indeed, the medicinal plant market is one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing sectors in the field of botanical resources. As people re-connect with natural health-based principles and shy away from expensive and potentially hazardous synthetic drugs, natural medicinal plants offer relief for a wide range of health needs. Today, 85 percent of the world’s population, approximately 5.1 billion people, turn to plants as primary medicines. This tremendous demand for medicinal plants and their preparations opens rich opportunities for individuals, communities, and commercial entities along the chain of medicinal plant trade. Ironically, the economic demand for medicinal and aromatic plants may help preserve natural environments and indigenous cultures in situations in which value-based education efforts have failed. In a world that places more value on an individual’s economic worth instead of intrinsic natural or humane merit, a scenario develops in which a hectare of aromatic or medicinal plants may yield more profit than can be derived from timber production, cattle grazing or mining. Equally, in this scenario, indigenous native people can participate and benefit from the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of botanical resources. From cultivation to harvesting, processing, and marketing, we have the chance to simultaneously provide safe, beneficial remedies for human needs and to preserve and promote environmental sustainability and indigenous native cultures. From shamans to store shelves, an examination of natural, plant-based medicines transition from the natural environment to the consumer marketplace, and how in the process can promote values and ideals which remain unfulfilled by other means. | |
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