Every day, millions of people harvest wild plants for their health, nutrition and livelihoods, yet many of the species that sustain them are quietly slipping toward extinction.

As World Wildlife Day approaches this March 3, medicinal and aromatic plants take center stage: a group of wild species essential to both human well-being and ecological balance, they are too often overlooked in global conservation conversations.

These plants grow in the wild and are harvested for their healing and well-being properties. They are widely used in modern and traditional medicines, cosmetic and food products, and the World Health Organization notes their particular importance in developing countries, where up to 95% of people rely on traditional medicine for primary health care.

Furthermore, according to the Intergovernmental Science–Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), “Wild plants, algae and fungi provide food, nutritional diversity and income for an estimated one in five people around the world, in particular women, children, landless farmers and others in vulnerable situations.”

Many familiar species — such as American ginseng, licorice, argan, candelilla and frankincense — are part of our daily lives, found in kitchen cupboards, medicine cabinets and bathrooms, although mostly hidden from view.

But global conservation assessments have only been carried out for a fraction of the many thousands of medicinal and aromatic plants in use. Of those that have been assessed, many are threatened with extinction due to overharvesting, and it is likely this is only the tip of the iceberg.

View a report about sustainable harvesting of star anise in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh here:

The threat of extinction is devastating for the millions of rural and often marginalized people — disproportionately women — who depend on harvesting, processing and trading wild plants for income, often in places where few alternatives exist. Beyond the undeniable impact on communities, the threat to ecosystems, should these wild plants become extinct, is currently poorly understood and should give us cause for great concern.

We need more “biodiversity-smart” policies and interventions related to conservation and sustainable use of wild plants, in recognition of their value for healthy ecosystems, lives and livelihoods. Developing sustainable, legal and equitable supply chains that benefit both communities and nature is essential.

For this to happen, businesses need to understand the risks related to biodiversity and local livelihoods in their sourcing, and invest in transparent and traceable supply chains for these precious ingredients.

My organization’s work in Nepal through local partners demonstrates what is possible, where protecting the CITES‑listed species jatamansi is at the same time improving incomes, especially for women, through better trading conditions. This successful model is now being rolled out to more Himalayan species, more communities, and across the wider supply chain.

This is how we conserve nature, health and livelihoods. Sustainable trade can deliver real, lasting change.

This World Wildlife Day, let’s make trade work for both people and the planet.

Richard Scobey is executive director of TRAFFIC, a global NGO working to ensure trade in wild species is sustainable and legal to benefit people and the planet.

Banner image: Pranisha Pun harvests a cordyceps mushroom in western Nepal. Image courtesy of Sushil Mainali / ANSAB.

See related coverage:

Traditional healers push for recognition and licensing of age-old Himalayan practice

UN recognition is latest boost to restoring spekboom across South Africa’s semidesert Karoo

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Erik Hoffner Editor

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BiodiversityCommentaryConservationEconomicsEnvironmentFoodForest ProductsGlobal TradeInternational TradeMedicinal PlantsNutritionPlantsTradeGlobal

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