Plants are critical to ecosystems and economies, said Danna J. Leaman, outgoing co-chair of the Medicinal Plant Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
“Over the last 15 years, attention has begun to shift to a much broader range of organisms on which not only human health and livelihoods but also the entire biodiversity system depend,” Ms Leaman said. UN News.
This year’s focus on medicinal and aromatic plants, she added, reflects a growing recognition of the critical role plants play in both ecosystems and economies, said Ms. Leaman, who is also a conservation biologist and ethnobotanist.
What is a medicinal plant?
There is no single definition of a medicinal plant, however, communities around the world have used various species in traditional medicine since the dawn of time.
However, its use is not limited to ancient practices, it is also a source of modern pharmaceuticals, foods, perfumes, cosmetics and household cleaning products.
With the growing interest in natural products in many countries, conversations between their proper use and conservation have become even more important.
Conservation Conversation
For decades, wildlife conservation efforts focused primarily on animals, but that perspective has gradually broadened, Leaman explained.
“It is quite surprising to consider how many communities – and not just rural collectors or traditional users, but also the pharmaceutical industry – depend on medicines that have been derived in some way from plants,” he said.
The theme of World Wildlife Day also highlights a major shift in global conservation priorities under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the international agreement that regulates wildlife trade.
“In many ways, this is a statement that we don’t just care about animals,” Ms. Leaman said. “CITES itself is recognizing that many of the species involved in international trade are plants.”
30,000 plants: Uses and risks
Experts from the Medicinal Plant Specialist Group and the Royal Botanic Gardens, London, have compiled global databases documenting the species and their uses.
Around 30,000 plant species are widely recognized as medicinal or aromatic plants based on published evidence and trade data.
Like biodiversity in general, medicinal and aromatic plants face increasing pressure, Leaman said. Recent assessments of European medicinal plants show threats arising from agricultural expansion, land use change and unsustainable harvesting of wild plant populations.
Climate change is also becoming an increasingly serious risk, particularly for species that grow in vulnerable habitats such as wetlands and mountain ecosystems.
The ingredients of a traditional Chinese medicinal remedy.
Threatened Ayurvedic plant
One plant illustrates both the importance and vulnerability of medicinal species: nardostachys jatamansi, sometimes called spikenard, a Himalayan herb long valued in traditional medicine systems, including Ayurveda.
Its aromatic roots, which grow in high-altitude regions of Nepal, India and China, are harvested for use in medicinal preparations and essential oils. The root is the valuable part, so harvesting usually kills the plant, so careful management is essential to prevent population decline.
Nardostachys jatamansi, considered critically endangered on the IUCN “Red List” of threatened species, has been the focus of efforts to ensure sustainable harvesting, particularly in Nepal, where trade restrictions now protect wild plants. While these measures aim to conserve the species, they can also affect rural livelihoods that depend on the collection of medicinal plants.
To address this, Ms Leaman said demonstrating sustainable harvesting practices could help balance conservation with economic needs.
“If collection and trade can be shown to be sustainable,” he explained, “it would allow local economies to benefit while strengthening incentives to conserve the habitats where these species grow.”
What can consumers and businesses do?
Global interest and demand for medicinal and aromatic plants is growing rapidly.
While many communities have long relied on natural products, demand has increased in recent years in markets where consumers are increasingly seeking plant-based remedies, supplements and cosmetics.
“It’s important for people to be aware of where these products come from,” Leaman said, offering some advice:
- Consumers are encouraged to look beyond marketing claims and look for evidence that products are sustainably and ethically sourced.
- Independent tools are now available to help, including an online platform called WildCheck, developed by wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, IUCN specialist group and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to help businesses and consumers assess whether plant ingredients are sustainably harvested, environmental impacts are responsibly managed and the communities involved in harvesting are treated fairly.
- Certification schemes such as the FairWild Standard, developed with input from conservation specialists, aim to ensure that sourcing practices meet environmental, social and corporate responsibility criteria, from harvest to final sale.