This volume on medicinal plants links together the physical environments of local communities and their use of plants in promoting and maintaining their health. In recent years, there has been a growth of interest in traditional medicine, in part driven by the interest in complementary medicine in industrial countries and in part resulting from the interests of the international pharmaceutical industry. The papers in this volume address research, policy and programmatic perspectives. Most resulted from a series of international meetings organized by the Global Initiative For Traditional Systems (GIFTS) of Health (Bodeker, 1996). Other papers have been prepared specifically to round out this collection of articles addressing the diverse perspectives associated with the supply, use, conservation and trade in plants for human health care. A clear understanding of both the supply-side issues and the factors driving the demand and size of the medicinal plant market is a vital step towards planning for both the conservation and sustainable use of the habitats of these plants as well as for ensuring continued availability of the basic ingredients used to address the health needs of the majority of the worlds' population.

Type of Case
Printed publication (book, sourcebook, journal article…)

Publisher
FAO

Region
Global

Biome
All

Forest Type
All forest types (natural and planted)

Primary Designated Function
All