MEDICINAL PLANTS ARE AT RISK ALL OVER THE WORLD!
You are probably aware of the problems caused to plants by deforestation of the rainforests (if not read the next page), but did you know that plants are at risk the world over from habitat loss? In the UK, some 700 plants are used medicinally and around 200 of them are native to Europe. The largest users by far of medicinal plants are companies making over-the-counter remedies.
According to Traffic International - the world’s largest wildlife trade monitoring programme - there are at least 150 medicinal plants native to Europe that are at risk in the wild. These include:
Pheasant’s Eye (Adonis vernalis), Arnica (Arnica montana), Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea), Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Iceland Moss (Cetraria islandica), Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata), Paeony (Paeonia spp.), Cowslip (Primula vera), Butcher’s Broom (Ruscus aculeatus), Mountain tea (Sideritis spp.), Thyme (Thymus spp.), Oregano (Oreganum spp.), and Panax Ginseng (wild populations in the Russian federation).

In the rest of the world, many other medicinal plants are at serious risk. Some are listed by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) in Appendix II of the treaty, which means international trade in wild collection is subject to government authorisation.
These are Hydrastis canadensis, Nardostachys grandiflora, Picrorrhiza kurrooa, all Aloe species, except Aloe vera, Aquillaria malaccensis, Guaiacum off., G. sanctum, Panax quinquefollus, Podophyllum hexandera, Rauvolfia serpentina, Taxus wallichiana and all Orchidaceae.
So where do medical herbalists fit into all of this? How can we help to protect plants when we are using them as medicines? Well, we can support the use of organically grown plants and encourage the preservation of wild plants - there has been a huge increase in suppliers of organic herbs in the last few years which is a direct result of demand from herbalists; herbalists know safe and effective alternatives to commonly used over-the-counter herbal remedies; herbalists prescribe individually so by seeing one, you will be taking the most appropriate herbs for your condition therefore minimising your use of them and also making sure they are from a sustainable source; it is a policy of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists to promote sustainable and ethical prescribing of herbal medicine.
For more information on the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and CITES go to the link page.

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