[MPWG] NEWS: Medicinal Plants are Big Business in Germany

[Olivia Kwong]

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3106747,00.html

Drugs | 05.02.2008
Medicinal Plants are Big Business in Germany

Each year, 45,000 tons of medicinal plants are used in Germany -- more 
than in any other European country. But this booming business also creates 
problems for species preservation.

Drugs made from medicinal plants have become ever more popular among 
doctors and patients in Germany in recent years. Around 75 percent of 
customers in German pharmacies reach for a natural product when they buy 
non-prescription medications. In 2006, so-called phytopharmaceuticals 
accounted for around 2 billions euros ($2.9 billion) worth of revenue, or 
about a third of the total revenue in non-prescription medications. That 
translates into a high demand for the raw materials for these products -- 
medicinal plants and their leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds.

See the link above for the full article text.