Herbal medicine industry threatens future of thousands of wild plants

By Clare Hughes London

The rapidly growing herbal medicine industry is threatening thousands of plant species around the world, according to a report by Plantlife International. About 35 000 plants are used medicinally worldwide, and there are fears that between 4000 and 10 000 species may now be endangered.

Alan Hamilton of the World Wildlife Fund said, "We have concerns about biological and cultural loss, and about loss of local knowledge--we can learn a lot about the natural world from plants." Other dangers include genetic erosion of populations and degradation of habitats.

The World Health Organization estimates that up to 80% of the world's population relies primarily on herbal medicines. More than a quarter of people in Britain regularly use herbal medicine.

Plantlife International claims that only six of the 17 herbal companies in the United Kingdom harvest any of their own plants; the remainder use wild plants.

Hamilton said, "If plants are collected from the wild, and they don't grow fast, they are lost. The number of globally extinct species may not be that high, but commercial extinction is a growing problem."

Worldwide, two thirds of medicinal plants are harvested from the wild and in Europe. A total of 1300 are used commercially, with up to 90% collected from the wild. Arnica (Arnica montana) is now threatened in some European countries.

International trade is covered by the Convention for International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. However, only one medicinal plant, Saussurea lappam, is listed as being threatened with extinction. Some 47 other medicinal plants traded in Europe are listed as at risk of extinction if nothing is done to protect them.

The medicinal plant industry has a target to ensure that by 2010 at least 30% of plant based products come from sustainable sources. Plantlife International suggests products should be given a kite mark if they are from sustainable sources and that codes of practice should be produced by the industry.

Hamilton said, "There is no clear message for consumers. However, it's certainly not to stop buying medicinal plant products because it's good for people to keep their links with nature."