<br><font size=3 face="Arial">Some food for thought during my lunch break...on
two points: trade data and the issue of wild American harvest</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial"><b><i>Trade data!?!? </i></b></font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">I think you are asking for way too much here!
I'm not kidding - trade data on most plants is HARD TO COME BY! And,
then try to get data on medicinals and you are asking for the world! I
have to analyze trade data a lot - only I'm usually trying to get info
on what's <i>leaving </i>the U.S. I have some ideas and hope that
some of our seasoned MPWG members might also chime in.</font>
<br>
<ul>
<li><font size=3 face="Arial"><b>For CITES-listed medicinals</b></font></ul>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">According to CITES World Newsletter (1),
about 35,000 plant species are used for medicinal purposes worldwide and,
as of 2001, more than 200 medicinal plants were CITES-listed. A list
of plant species that are traded for medicinal purposes was compiled in
2002 (2). </font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">CITES maintains its trade data online, at:
. You can find out which countries are the importers and exporters,
and how much they're trading. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">To do a CITES-trade search </font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">Go to: <www.unep-wcmc.org/citestrade/trade.cfm></font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">- You fill out the requested info - your
name, etc. - because they like to see how the database is being used. </font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">- You can search for one species at a time
or by genus or family. </font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">- It will take you step by step thru the
process.</font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">-The trade data can be confusing but there
there is an online guide on how to read it. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">For more U.S.-specific info, as of 1999,
there were at least 175 species of North American native plants for nonprescription
medicinals marketed in domestically, with more than 140 North American
native herbs in herbal products and phytomedicines internationally (3).
Also, our friends at HerbalGram publish top sales info each year
- although a quick search and I can't see exactly which is the most recent
issue on the topic.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial"><b>References:</b></font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial"><b><i>(1) CITES World Newsletter -
Significant trade in medicinal plants</i></b></font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">http://www.cites.org/eng/news/world/10.pdf</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial"><b><i> (2)
List Of Species Traded For Medicinal Purposes</i></b></font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">http://www.cites.org/eng/com/PC/12/E-PC12-12-01-02.pdf</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial"><b><i>(3) Medicine from U.S. Wildlands: An
Assessment of Native Plant Species Harvested in the United States for Medicinal
Use and Trade and Evaluation of the Conservation and Management Implications
</i></b></font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">http://www.nps.gov/plants/MEDICINAL/pubs/traffic.htm</font>
<br>
<ul>
<li><font size=3 face="Arial"><b>Customs </b></font></ul>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial"> Tracks
imports only. If you have a customs code, you can search the Customs
database - but I can't seem to find that search engine right now. </font>
<br>
<ul>
<li><font size=3 face="Arial"><b>USDA </b></font></ul>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">Requires phytosanitary certificates for just
about all plant material entering the country. I heard they were
going to automate their system, but not sure if that happened yet.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial"><b><i>Issue of Wild American Harvest</i></b></font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">You wonder if wild-harvest of American species
is an issue, when needs are being meet by imports - well....How much of
our needs are really being met by these imports? And how much of
our needs are not being met, simply because the market has not been developed?
</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">The U.S. is missing out on opportunities
when it comes to our native medicinal plants. For instance, some
wild-harvested plants are actually leaving the U.S. as raw materials because
there is no market for them here. And then, we buy some of those
materials right back from the guys who bought them and turned into finished
products. Many of you know what the mark-up is from raw materials
to finished products - it's pretty substantial - esp. when you are talking
about plant materials, which are generally under-valued resources as raw
materials.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">Now, this is not to say that I'm not concerned
about the impact of wild-harvesting on medicinal plants. Because
I am. So I should say that my discussion here is predicated on the
"wise use of resources" (a whole 'nother conversation). More
and more we have come to understand that wise use of resources comes from
those who have a vested interest in them. Medicinal plant collection
is part of our culture, our heritage - medicinal plants are important to
livelihoods and day-to-day health needs of many Americans. I am convinced
that the further development of U.S. cottage industries, based on wise
use of resources, would be an excellent avenue for conserving our native
medicinal plants and their habitats - that and the cessation of habitat
destruction (but that's a whole 'nother conversation, too). </font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">What if the medicinal plant market were developed
here in the U.S. so that we didn't export the raw materials, but actually
created the value-added products - and that money went back to the stewards
of the resources? What if we were able to satisfy more of our domestic
needs for plants with sustainably-sourced (cultivated or wild-crafted)
materials from our own backyards (or, backwoods)? Imagine.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial">-Patricia</font>
<br><font size=3 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.<br>
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority<br>
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group<br>
US Fish & Wildlife Service<br>
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 110<br>
Arlington, VA 22203<br>
703-358-1708 x1753<br>
FAX: 703-358-2276<br>
<br>
Promoting sustainable use and conservation of our native medicinal plants.<br>
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal><br>
</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<td width=39%><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>Goods From The Woods <penny@pinenut.com></b>
</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Sent by: mpwg-bounces@lists.plantconservation.org</font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">07/17/2009 11:41 AM</font>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">To</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org</font>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">cc</font></div>
<td>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Subject</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">[MPWG] Question: Production Plantations
in Poland - Hamamelis virginiana</font></table>
<br>
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<td>
<td></table>
<br></table>
<br>
<br>
<br><tt><font size=2>Hamamelis virginiana is an indigenous plant to the
U.S. and we are USDA <br>
certified organic wild crop producers of the species. <br>
I recently did a survey of on line botanical sellers offering certified
<br>
witch hazel and found it was all coming out of Poland.<br>
When I inquired with a major US broker, I was told they had huge <br>
plantations of it in Poland.<br>
I emailed several Polish exporters, the agricultural agencies and
the <br>
Consulate to no avail.<br>
Could anyone assist in locating these "huge organic certified Polish
<br>
plantations?"<br>
<br>
As an aside, many of common native American species are on the U.S. <br>
certified organic market as Polish or Hungarian imports. While there <br>
does seem to be a good deal of organic agriculture producing medicinal
<br>
plants in Poland, I am surprised by the sheer number of native <br>
medicinal species reported as organically cultivated in Poland and
<br>
imported to the U.S. as organic material. The certified organic market
<br>
is THE market for native botanicals.<br>
<br>
Thus, ny second question: Is there any research on U.S. imports of
<br>
medicinal plants. I have used several trade data bases both public and
<br>
private search services without much luck. Seeing that the U.S. market
<br>
for medicinal plants is being met with so many imported botanicals, it
<br>
gives me pause to think about our need to consider American medicinal <br>
species harvest safeguards. What if it not an issue, as the market
<br>
might be met by imports, rather than wild American harvest?<br>
<br>
Thank you,<br>
Penny Frazier<br>
A Wild Crops Farm<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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</font></tt>
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