Plantlife International, a UK-based botanical conservation group, is making some dire predictions about the future of plant life world wide. According to the group, nearly 1/5th of all plant species could be wiped out by the growing herbal remedy industry:

"With demand and commercialisation growing fast, the future of the wild plants that have helped most of humanity for centuries is now more uncertain than it has ever been."

"It is time for the industry to join forces with environmental organisations to ensure herbal harvests have a sustainable future."

I don't know much (anything, really) about this group, but what they say seems true enough to me. Many people are in the herbal medicine business to make a quick buck, and have little or no ethics when it comes to harvesting wild populations. Europe has all but lost Arnica, while we in the states nearly said goodbye to Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal).

Sadly, there is no need for this. Gaia provides us with a plethora of herbs with similar actions. Knowledgeable and caring herbalists only gather what they can use, and avoid endangered or at-risk plants. When buying our medicines, we make sure the suppliers are ethical in their harvesting, shunning cheaper but more reckless companies. Sure, it may cost a few more bucks a pound, but we should be in this for the long haul.

If you're not sure about where your medicines are coming from...

Thanks to Julius for the link.

Posted by Evo Terra at January 08, 2004 07:41 PM | TrackBack (0)