Seminar: “Exploring the New FairWild Certification and Work as a Development Practitioner” Maureen DeCoursey, Private Consultant and CFAT Associate, Colorado State University
On September 26, 2011, Maureen DeCoursey, Private Consultant and CFAT Associate (Masters of Forestry, Yale University) presented “Exploring the New FairWild Certification and Work as a Development Practitioner” to CFAT faculty, associates, and students. DeCoursey discussed practical details for those seeking a career in development in the first part of her presentation. For the second part, she outlined key elements of the new FairWild certification and facilitated a group discussion on current challenges and conundrums.
The following two FairWild-related presentations were made at the International Conference “Medicinal and aromatic plants in generating new values in 21st century” 9th to 12th November 2011, held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (http://www.map-sarajevo.com/):
Hogervorst, R. (2011): Sustainability and European markets for MAPs – The Role of FairWild. In Redžić, S. (2011): International Conference "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Generating of New Values in 21st Century”: Book of Abstracts. Special editions, ANUBIH, VOL.CXL, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Vol. 18, Sarajevo, p. 133
Timoshyna, A., Morgan, B., Rodina, K. (2011): Sustainability in MAP sector development in South-East Europe: Opportunities through FairWild. In Redžić, S. (2011): International Conference „Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Generating of New Values in 21st Century”: Book of Abstracts. Special editions, ANUBIH, VOL.CXL, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Vol. 18, Sarajevo, pp.179-180.
Wild harvesting - An update on FairWild Standards. Nuria Alonso. The Organic Standard. Issue 25, September 2011
The Promise of FairWild Certification: Interview with Heiko Schindler, Institute for Marketecology.
The new FairWild standard – a tool to ensure sustainable wild-collection of plants. Wolfgang Kathe. Medicinal Plant Conservation. Volume 14, 2011.
Review article published in the Newsletter of the Medicinal Plant Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
In August 2010, the FairWild Foundation published version 2.0 of the FairWild Standard. This is not just a new version, but an outstanding new document: the world’s most comprehensive international sustainability standard that focuses exclusively on the sustainable wild collection of plants, fungi and lichens.
Ethical trading and Fair Trade Certification: the growing market for botanicals with ecological and social certification. (PDF 1.1 MB) Josef Brinckmann and Kerry Hughes. HerbalGram, Number 88, 2010.
Abstract: An estimated 3,000 botanical species that are used as medicinal and/or aromatic agents are traded globally, of which the majority of species are wild collected. An in-depth examination of sourcing practices today may reveal that the lack of transparency and unequal trading relationships still inherent in worldwide trading systems is the cause of a growing demand for eco-social certification.
The process of establishing a sustainable and/or fair trade management system is time-consuming, difficult to navigate, and may compromise elements of secrecy. This article highlights some of the emerging eco-social certifications and aims to identify to whom they are important. Consumers care differently about different aspects of “sustainable” sourcing of botanicals. For some, sustainable agriculture and sustainable wild harvesting, as evidenced by organic certification, are enough. But for others, non-exploitation of harvesters and social sustainability, as evidenced by fair trade certification, are the most important aspects. However, the linking of ecological and social sustainability in a single standard and certification is a growing trend.
Article reproduced with the permission of American Botanical Council (www.herbalgram.org)
Quantitative assessment of an International Standard on Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC MAP) to evolving a process for adoption and adaptation (PDF, 9.7 MB) Giridhar Kinhal and Samir Sinha. Proceedings of International Conclave on Medicinal Plants for ASEAN & BIMSTEC countries during 11-13 Dec 2008. pp. 39 - 49.
Abstract: Conservation and sustainable utilisation of medicinal plants, NTFPs and other forest species is a global concern, as it has to meet dual objectives of maintaining the biodiversity and meeting livelihood needs of the forest dependent community. This is the major challenge faced by the resource managers. The medicinal Plants sector has an added responsibility of accommodating the healthy security provided by the wild resources through the ecosystem specific traditional knowledge. These factors make the sector more complex to design a management system that is built on the resource conservation as foundation with well laid out mechanisms for prudent use of the resources for the benefit of the stakeholders.
This paper explains about one such international initiative coordinated by the IUCN, BFN, TRAFFIC, and the WWF Germany over a period of last five years. This group, through a broad based multi stakeholder consultation has developed a Standard called the ISSC MAP version 1, that has six principles, 18 criteria and over more than 100 indicators. (ISSC-MAP version 1 BFN Skripten 195, 2007).
Zwischen Raubbau und Anbau [Between Cultivation and Depletion] Daniela Biermann. Pharmazeutische Zeitung Online.
Abstract: Teufelskralle: Heilpflanzen aus Südafrika sind auch in Deutschland sehr beliebt. Die weltweite Nachfrage wächst schneller als so manche Pflanze. Was tun, damit der Nachschub nicht ausbleibt – bei fairen Bedingungen für Mensch und Umwelt?
Fair Trade in Wild Plants. (PDF, 240 KB) Orchid News (Sept 2010, International news section, pp 124-129)
Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and Private Sector Engagement. (PDF, 1.2 MB) Britta Paetzold and Anastasiya Timoshyna. [Square Brackets] CBD newsletter for Civil Society. Issue 3 May 2010.
Abstract: Strategies aiming to ensure conservation of plant resources in the long term increasingly address the role of the private sector. Objective 5c of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) focuses on the sustainable use of plant diversity, the development of livelihoods based on sustainable use of plants and the promotion of the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of the plants. Instruments like the FairWild Standard (FWS) offer a concrete set of principles and criteria for companies and other stakeholders to verify sustainable and ethical fair sourcing of plants from the wild and to promote the use of products made from them. The FWS thus provides an important approach to help achieve GSPC Targets 3, 11, 12 and 13.
Providing Support to the BioTrade Principles and Criteria. (PDF, 3.5 MB) Franziska Staubli. Business 2010. Volume 5 Issue 2 May 2010.
Abstract: The overall objective of the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) is to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from selected countries in gaining access to the Swiss and European markets. In respect of the natural ingredients sector in general, and biodiversity products in particular, SIPPO has been involved in supporting companies to find markets for their specialty products. With a mandate from the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs, SIPPO has been involved in the Biotrade Facilitation Programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) biotrade initiative from its inception in 2001. In order to complement the UNCTAD BioTrade Principles and Criteria for companies to implement sustainable sourcing, SIPPO supported the development of the FairWild Standard in order to translate the Principles and Criteria into a certifiable standard with an accompanying label. SIPPO has provided support to a number of companies interested in applying these criteria in practice, such as Candela Peru, a processing and trading company which bases its operations on fair trade principles.
The potential of certification for conservation and management of wild MAP resources (PDF, 220 KB) Rajasri Bhattacharyya, Aparna Asokan, Prodyut Bhattacharya, Ram Prasad. Biodivers. Conserv. 2009. Vol 18, No. 13, 3441-3451. DOI 10.1007/s10531-009-9653-z.
Abstract: Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are an integral part of our biodiversity. In majority of MAP rich countries, wild collection practices are the livelihood options for a large number of rural peoples and MAPs play a significant role in socio-economic development of their communities. Recent concern over the alarming situation of the status of wild MAP resources, raw material quality, as well as social exploitation of rural communities, leads to the idea of certification for MAP resource conservation and management. On one hand, while MAP certification addresses environmental, social and economic perspectives of MAP resources, on the other hand, it ensures multi-stakeholder participation in improvement of the MAP sector. This paper presents an overview of MAP certification encompassing its different parameters, current scenario (Indian background), implementation strategies as well as stakeholders’ role in MAP conservation. It also highlights Indian initiatives in this direction.
Fair Trade Medicinal Plants and Extracts (PDF, 1.4 MB) MNS 33, DECEMBER 2009
Introduction: This edition of MNS features information on the fast-growing supply chain of medicinal and aromatic plants and extracts that are coming into the global marketplace with value-adding certifications or verifications that demonstrate evidence of sustainable resource management and production (ecological, economical and social sustainability practices throughout the supply chain).
These botanical ingredients are being offered at premium prices mainly because the costs associated with establishing and maintaining rigorous sustainable resource management plans, as well as the costs associated with routine independent inspections, certification and social investment fund contributions to the producer communities are not inconsequential, and above and beyond normal or prevailing average market prices. Nonetheless the market demand for natural ingredients with multiple sustainability certifications is increasing (e.g. organic cultivated + fair trade or organic wild + fair wild certified), as conscious customers around the world are demanding more and more information about the herbal supply chain, nature conservation and sustainability, in consideration of the increasing awareness that most medicinal plant species in global commerce are wild harvested and are not grown on farms. In fact, most species in commerce will not likely ever be farmed which necessitates paying close attention to sustainable resource management and biodiversity conservation in the natural habitats of wild plants.
Chinese Herbs in the 21st Century: Questions for a Sustainable Future (PDF, 160 KB) Jasmine Rose Oberste LAc with Bria Larson. California Journal of Oriental Medicine Vol. 20 (no.2) 10-12.
Abstract: China is home to a greater diversity of the world’s plants than any other region of the planet. Considering that herbal medicine is a cornerstone of Chinese medicine, the relationship between human populations, market demands and the ecosystems in which Chinese herbs grow warrants closer examination. Can Chinese and global ecosystems support the increased demand of herbal medicine as it is harvested and sold now, largely unregulated?
This article explores some of the current challenges we face with Chinese herbal medicine today, at the intersection of conservation biology and international trade of medicinal plants, and the various regulations and guidelines that will ensure, quality, long-term availability of both wild and cultivated Chinese herbs.