Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

SUMMARY REPORT OF THE MEETING 5
Examples of activities carried out by the project include:
- Strengthening or establishing local seed production
- Surveying the distribution of available genetic diversity and of traditional knowledge
together with analyses of genetic erosion
- Investigations throughout the production-consumption chain
- Identification of improved agronomic and production procedures and value-adding
strategies
- Analysis of market opportunities
- Research on nutritional value of the species, and characterization and evaluation work
- Development of networks
- Studies to identify policy failures
These areas of research might be considered by the WG on MAPs to define its own
workplan.
MAP conservation strategies
Peter Skoberne (Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy of Slovenia) gave an
overview of the situation regarding plant conservation, with a detailed review of the legal
instruments available at all levels:
- international treaties or conventions, including protocols and recommendations either at
global level (RAMSAR Convention, World Heritage, CMS or Bonn Convention, CITES or
Washington Convention, CBD, GPA…), regional level (the Bern Convention, the
European Landscape Convention…) or sub-regional level (Alpine Convention, Barcelona
Convention);
- supranational legislation such as the EU Habitat Directive and Endangered Species
Regulation;
- global strategies such as the World Conservation Strategy (IUCN/UNEP/WWF 1980);
Caring for the Earth (IUCN/UNEP/WWF 1991); and the Global Biodiversity Strategy
(WRI/IUCN/UNEP 1992). Of special interest to this working group are the Guidelines on
the Conservation of Medicinal Plants (WHO/IUCN/WWF 1993);
- ministerial processes (Environment for Europe, Protection of Forests in Europe)
- national legislation, the essential tool for implementation of these legal treaties and
strategies.
Dr Skoberne concluded by saying that it is now time to move from the writing of papers
to action. The basic cornerstone of our work should be to respect life and learn from plants,
working "from the ground", but we cannot work alone. This is what networks are for!
The full text of the presentation is included in Part II of this report (pages 14-18).
Sustainable use of medicinal and aromatic plants in Europe
Susanne Schmitt (WWF-UK) and Susan Honneff (WWF-Germany/TRAFFIC-Europe)
The abstract of the presentation is included in Part II (pages 19-20).
Origin of medicinal plants in Central Europe – an ecological approach
Ernst Schneider (Pharmacist and Biologist, PhytoConsulting)
The full text of the paper is included in Part II (pages 21-24).