Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing Panel

75 minutes  

With the field of Herbal Medicine growing and expanding,  concerns regarding ethics of sourcing our plants are growing too. Rising popularity and demand for a wild harvested herb outstrips the amount that the plant population can support. Unsustainable harvesting practices have led to the decline and even near extinction of many treasured wild plants. Commercial wild harvesting has impacted traditional peoples who shared knowledge of these plants, and they may no longer have access to their ancestral medicines. Discussions will consist of at-risk plants from the United Plant Savers list and social movements towards sustainable transparent sourcing. Additionally, discussions will be held around the Global Strategy on Plant Conservation (GSPC) and around the movement of sustainable transparent sourcing and Good Wild Crafting Practices.