[MPWG] Saving Plants That Save Lives - How about a certification program

[David Taylor]

Such a certification program is underway with IUCN and WWF support,  
as this group is probably aware. An article about the new standard  
for medicinal plants is in the January issue of Environmental Health  
Perspectives, online at:
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2008/116-1/forum.html#newy


On Jan 3, 2008, at 3:51 PM, Michael Laurie wrote:

Seems to me that one good solution would be to have a certification  
program

that uses 3rd party verifiers to certify that a company’s products  
are sustainably grown or harvested.

Kind of like the Forest Stewardship Council or other certifications.



From: mpwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org [mailto:mpwg- 
bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of cafesombra at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 12:46 PM
To: MPWG at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [MPWG] Saving Plants That Save Lives



Hello,
"Unsustainable collection practices" (which we've been blaming for  
years now) may be threatening / endangering plants.  But what causes  
unsustainable collection?  Why are people pulling too many plants out  
of the wild without implementing appropriate replanting and/or  
protection measures?  Could it be that unsustainable contracting for  
commercial ingredients is the culprit?   Business people, especially  
the big users (I would say "players," if creating a sustainable  
future were a game) can point the finger at collectors 'til the  
cowslip comes home.  But business people are the ones paying the  
collectors.  Now that distribution and product placement make it  
difficult if not impossible for all but the bigger players to get  
into the commerce game, we can no longer say that consumers demand it  
so, let's supply what the people want.  Consumers wander down the  
aisles choosing from amongst what is there, and if one product  
disappears and another replaces it, they still choose from what's  
there.  They still tend to choose what is placed right in front of  
their faces, as all informed business people know.  Imagine a world  
where no one can find any non-organic products except by shunning the  
stores and going to their local chemical factory farms to support the  
local underdogs. It's not going to do your company any good to "give  
the people what they want" if the environment is ruined and the  
source runs out in the process -- unless you are in it for the quick  
return rather than the long haul.
I may be preaching to the choir, assuming that signing up for an  
email list affirms one's commitment to a sustainable future.  So, if  
everyone on this list is already perfect, how do we reach those who  
do not voluntarily choose to do the right thing?  Because that is  
what we need to do.  It's a crime that saving the plants that save  
lives is a voluntary act, if you think you might want to, and  
allowing unrestricted trade of unsustainable ingredients is protected  
by law.
Jennifer  www.herbalistswithoutborders.org





-----Original Message-----
From: Olivia Kwong <plant at plantconservation.org>
To: mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Sent: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 10:53 am
Subject: [MPWG] NEWS: Saving Plants That Save Lives

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080101202622.htm





Saving Plants That Save Lives





ScienceDaily (Jan. 1, 2008) - Poor or non-existent collection  
controls are



threatening the survival of many of the plant species used in  
traditional



and modern medicines. Some estimates indicate that 15,000 of the  
50,000 -



70,000 plant species used for medicinal purposes and mostly collected  
from



the wild may be threatened, many as a direct result of unsustainable



collection practices.





See the link above for the full article.







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To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to MPWG- 
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Disclaimer
Any advice given on this list regarding diagnosis or treatments etc.  
reflects ONLY the opinion of the individual who posts the message.  
The information contained in posts is not intended nor implied to be  
a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your  
specific medical condition or question. All medical and other  
healthcare information that is discussed on this list should be  
carefully reviewed by the individual reader and their qualified  
healthcare professional. Posts do not reflect any official opinions  
or positions of the Plant Conservation Alliance.

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