Harvest more knowledge

If you want to top up your local knowledge, there are herbaria, botanical gardens, research institutes, NGOs and universities with agricultural, biological and medical faculties in your region or country that focus on medicinal plants, their cultivation, conservation and curative properties. Some such services have a wider scope or a regional focus, such as the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (CSRPM, Mampong-Akwapim, Ghana, fax: +233 872 22 087 - Email: csrpmg@ug.gn.apc.org) A herbalist s heaven, it integrates traditional medicine into formal practice, operates three herbaria, and sells medicines and books. The Enda-Santé programme of the NGO Enda tiers-monde (BP 3370, Dakar, Senegal - Fax: + 221 8 22 26 95 - Email: endaste@enda.sn - Website: www.enda.sn/plantesmed) works on enhancing the use of medicinal plants and traditional medicine. Its searchable database is in French, Wolof, Pulaar, Serer, Diola, Bambara, Mandingue, Djerma, Haoussa, Moré. It sells phytomedicines and publishes fact sheets and pharmacopoeia (lists of drugs, and their use). Enda s Caribbean office (Enda-Caribe, Apdo. 3370, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - Fax: +1 809 535 54 50 - Email: ecaribe@aacr.net - Website: www.funredes.org/endacaribe/traducciones/tramil.html) run the TRAMIL programme of applied research to integrate the use of medicinal plants in health practices. Their Website (English/French) provides a regional directory of activities and organisations. One such body is Iwokrama (Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development, 67 Bel Air, Georgetown, Guyana - Fax: +592 2 59 199). This R&D body demonstrates how to conserve yet use tropical forest biodiversity. The networks On the other side of the globe, the UNESCO-sponsored Asia-Pacific Information Network on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants links up organisations in 14 countries. (APINMAP Network Centre, c/o Agricultural Information Bank for Asia (AIBA), Los Banos, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines - Fax: +63 2 817 05 98 - Website: www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/apinmap). Their database of bibliographies and pharmacopoeia is compiled from members contributions. It has been consistently reliable since the 1970s. It s early days yet, but you ll probably find that most serious people in the sector will plug into the new interactive MedPlant Website of the Global Information Network on Medicinal Plants, supported by IDRC and Bellanet: source.bellanet.org/medplant Somewhat staider is the World Health Organisation, whose Essential Drugs and Medicines programme covers the topic, and whose May 2002 document WHO Policy Perspectives on Medicines will be a classic. WHO, avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland Fax: + 41 22 791 3111 - Email info@who.int - Website: www. who.int. For an overview of networks, go to www.genres.de/mpc-dir. Of the international environmental organisations, IUCN (The International Conservation Union, rue Mauverney 28, Gland 1196, Switzerland - Fax: +41 22 999 00 02 - Email: mail@hq.iucn.org) has the most comprehensive set of data, not always easy to find. There is always a national or member office near you. Website: www.iucn.org/members/directory.cfm. The People and Plants programme combines conservation and development approaches. A partnership of WWF, UNESCO, and the UK s Royal Botanic Gardens, it has an excellent series of books featured regularly in our English edition. (People and Plants, c/o WWF-UK, Panda House, Weyside Park, Catteshall Lane, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR, UK - Website: www.rbgkew.org.uk/peopleplants/index.htm). Protect and then trade First follow the rules when looking at trade opportunities. The inter-governmental Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES Secretariat, International Environment House, Chemin des Anémones, CH-1219 Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland - Fax: +41 22 797 34 17 - Email: cites@unep.ch) covers some 30,000 plant and animal species. It has more than 150 signatories, with Fiji, Mauritania and Grenada the most recent. Its rules are often flouted (don t you even think of it!), but increasingly well-policed. A user-friendly window with documents and advice on these very complex issues is available at the TRAFFIC agency (219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK - Fax: 44 1223 27 72 37 - Email: traffic@trafficint.org - Website: www.traffic.org). The International Trade Centre (ITC - UNCTAD/ WTO, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland - Fax: +41 22 733 44 39 - Email: itcreg@intracen.org - Website: www.intracen.org) is cluttered with information about all aspects of trade in medicinal plants, and provides a regular Market News Service. Much clearer, though restricted geographically, is Guidelines for Exporters of Medicinal Herbs to the Euro-pean Market (2001, 130 pp, ISBN 0-85092-661-0. GBP 15 · t 24.) published by the Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX, England - Fax +44 20 7747 6168 - Email: info@commonwealth.int - Website: www.thecommonwealth. org). This manual, unfortunately in English only at present, reflects CommSec s extensive knowledge. Refresher course By now you may want to get back to a clear overview of all the issues, and maybe talk them through. Here the welcoming team of ConserveAfrica International can help you. They operate mainly on the Internet, but if need be, pester them with mail for paper information. (CAI, 24 Carterhatch Road, Enfield, Middlesex, London EN3 5LS, UK - Email: info@conserveafrica.org - Website: www.conserveafrica.org). Their set of recommendations of the Medicinal Plants Forum held in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2000 is the most succinct and comprehensive listing of the key issues. They also host a discussion forum Phytomedica on phytomedicine, traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia, ethnomedicine and other aspects. Send a blank e-mail to: phytomedica-subscribe@yahoogroups.comIf you want to top up your local knowledge, there are herbaria, botanical gardens, research institutes, NGOs and universities with agricultural, biological and medical faculties in your region or country that focus on medicinal plants, their..