TRAFFIC Launches Wild Medicinal Plant Project in Vietnam

TRAFFIC Launches Wild Medicinal Plant Project in Vietnam

TRAFFIC in co-ordination with the Bac Kan Forest Protection Department (FPD), has launched its first project in Viet Nam to protect plants that rural communities rely upon for traditional medicine. The plants targeted by the project are threatened by unsustainable harvesting and habitat destruction.

The project in the South Xuan Lac Species and Habitat Conservation Area in northern Viet Nam will implement the FairWild Standard, guidelines drawn up to ensure the sustainability of wild medical and aromatic plant harvesting.

FairWild incorporates principles of ecological and social responsibility providing a worldwide framework for implementing a sustainable, fair and value-added management and trading system for wild-collected natural ingredients and products thereof.

South Xuan Lac was chosen for its unique floral composition, local communities’ use of medicinal plants and evidence of uncontrolled harvesting.

The project will be implemented jointly with the Bac Kan FPD and the People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) with support and funding from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).

Working with local harvesters, traders and the government, TRAFFIC and PRCF will apply FairWild principles to conserve biodiversity and improve the livelihoods of local community’s dependent upon the plant products. Ultimately, the project aims to develop a model that can be applied throughout Viet Nam.

TRAFFIC will help train local workers in wild plant resource management, harvest monitoring, sustainable collection and value addition processing techniques.

“It is important to develop strategies that ensure the sustainable use of natural resources and to ensure the local collectors whose income depends upon wild harvested plants gain greater economic security and a fair and equitable return from the sale of their product,” said Naomi Doak, Programme Coordinator of TRAFFIC’s Greater Mekong Programme.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday April 11 2012, 4:28 AM EST. Ref: TRAFFIC. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0