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CITES:
Protecting Wild Plants, Encouraging Conservation
By Justin Laboe, Herb Research Foundation
Medicinal herbs have been at the heart of health care for most
of human history. Unfortunately, the usefulness of some plants
can be a threat to their own survival. As global populations
continue to multiply, the demand for many wild plants is outstripping
the supply.  Wild
plant populations are also threatened by habitat loss, which
occurs when natural areas are cleared for agriculture or other
human development. Lastly, plant species are often depleted
by improper harvesting techniques. This can happen when harvesters
collect more than 10% of a wild plant population, particularly
herbs that are harvested for their roots and bulbs, such as
black cohosh, orchids, licorice and goldenseal.
The threat of extinction and loss of plant biodiversity has
several serious consequences. Today, more than 80% of the world's
population still relies on herbal medicines as their primary
source of healthcare, according to the World Health Organization.
This figure includes the large populations of China and India,
other less-developed countries of the world, and even some modern
nations. Loss of biodiversity is a threat to these traditional
healing systems. Even in the US, roughly 25% of prescription
medicines are still extracted from plants or are synthetic copies
of plant chemicals, and at least 57% of the top prescription
drugs are derived in some way from plants. Loss of plant resources
also directly affects individuals and businesses whose livelihood
depends on the trade of natural products. Other consequences
are more difficult to quantify, including the broader effects
on ecological balance and the loss of beauty and knowledge for
all of humanity.
CITES: An International Treaty That Protects Endangered
Plants
Recognizing that the threat of extinction is directly related
to global market demand, nations of the world have worked together
to regulate the international trade of rare and endangered plants
and animals. In 1960, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) began
discussing how to regulate the trade of endangered animal species,
such as elephants and gorillas. The IUCN presented its proposals
at the United Nations Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment
in 1972. These events laid the foundation for the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES), which was sponsored by the United Nations Environment
Programme in 1973. This treaty was immediately signed by 88
nations and became effective on July 1, 1975. CITES now has
150 signatories and is considered by some to be the most effective
international treaty on conservation to date.
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"Poachers
Plunder South Africa's Floral Treasures"
from Fox News: September 1, 2000.
www.foxnews.com/science/090100/buchu.sml
This news story, which appeared on a major US news nework's
website, clearly outlines the overharvesting problems threatening
wild African medicinal plants. The writer vividly shows why
the A-SNAPP program is needed to save these plants. Buchu-a
protected plant native to South Africa-is the focus of the article,
but the factors that have caused it to become scarse (e.g. increased
demand, improper harvesting techniques, illegal poaching) endanger
other African medicinal plants as well. Cobus Coetzee, one of
our key partners in South Africa, is quoted throughout the story.
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