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Sebastian Pole CEO of Pukka Herbs, presenting about FairWildHyderabad, India, 17 October 2012 – The use of the FairWild Standard as a tool to help government policy-makers to engage the private sector in ensuring sustainable use of wild plants was explored at a side event held earlier this week at the meeting of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) currently under way in Hyderabad, India.

Over 40 participants gathered to join in the lively discussions on effective policy-making for sustainable use of wild plants.  Speakers included representatives from TRAFFIC, the FairWild Foundation, the UK company Pukka Herbs Ltd, the Government of Madhya Pradesh, India, and the Savandurga Village Forest Committee, India, sharing experiences particularly from India.

The event entitled “‘Going wise’: mutual benefits for plant-based businesses and national policy-makers in sustainable use of wild plants” was co-ordinated by TRAFFIC, with the FairWild Foundation and IUCN-Medicinal Plant Specialist Group as co-organizers. Financial support was provided by WWF Japan.

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Sustainability of wild flora use and livelihoods—framing the global CBD discussion and supporting national implementation

Hyderabad, India, 15 October 2012 -  Conservation and sustainable use of wild flora, as well as maintenance of traditional knowledge associated with plants, are critical to meeting the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).  These were discussed during the first week of the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CBD (CoP11) in Hyderabad.

Under agenda item 13.7 on the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) last Thursday, 11 October, Parties discussed the relevant Decision that emerged from the 16th meeting of the CBD’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 16) earlier this year, and accepted it essentially unchanged.

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Links between biodiversity and community health examined

Conservation of medicinal plants and their importance to community health were under discussion this week at a side-event at the CBD © UNU-IASHyderabad, India, 11th October 2012—The FairWild Standard was highlighted as a tool to guide operationalizing links between conservation and grassroots development in the fields of biodiversity and community health during a side event held earlier this week at the meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) currently underway in Hyderabad, India.

Speaking at the event, TRAFFIC’s Anastasiya Timoshyna, Medicinal Plants Programme Leader, introduced the FairWild Standard as a set of best practice guidelines for sustainable harvesting and equitable trade in wild-collected medicinal plants. She gave examples of implementation through community participation, local and national policies, as well as sustainable sourcing by the private sector. 

Attended by more than 90 people, the event included keynote messages from Dr Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, the Executive Secretary to CBD, Dr Hem Pande, CBD Focal point for India, Dr Balakrishna Pisupati, Chair of the National Biodiversity Authority of India, and representatives from United Nations University-Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Equator Initiative, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) and TRAFFIC.

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Traditional and wild in Brno

The Mendeleum Breeding Station, where workshop participants learned about traditional plant processing techniques © TRAFFICBrno, Czech Republic, 25th September 2012—more than 30 participants met last week in Brno to assess their progress in implementing a “Traditional and Wild” project in Central Europe. The project focuses on the use of traditional medicinal plants in the region.

Project partners include TRAFFIC and WWF Hungary, who are securing sustainability in wild-plant harvesting and trade through implementation of the FairWild Standard.

TRAFFIC was among the organizations who helped develop the Standard, and promotes it through its partnership with the FairWild Foundation.

Those attending the meeting in Brno included project partners and external experts in socio-economic and capacity building issues, NGOs, scientific institutions, local authorities and government organisations.

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Upcoming event: Bhopal Herbal Fair, India (22-26 November 2012)

The Bhopal Herbal Fair is an annual highlight event, now running for more than a decade. This marks the second year that the fair has been held as an International event, creating a platform to showcase the diversity and potential of Central India’s medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) and provide marketing opportunities for sustainably produced ingredients. Bhopal is the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh, and has excellent air connections with Delhi and Mumbai.

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