Education for Sustainable Development

This chapter focuses on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for communities selling medicinal plants in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The purpose is to equip the participating medicinal plant sellers with knowledge and skills related to the trade of medicinal plants. In particular, the study focuses on cultivating the participants’ awareness of the importance of conducting their business based on principles of conservation, sustainable livelihoods and environmental sustainability. The study followed a case study design within a mixed methods research paradigm. Data collection involved the use of face-to-face questionnaire administration and follow-up focused group interviews. Phase 1 results revealed a number of challenges faced by the medicinal plant sellers. These included processing, storage and packaging, lack of business skills and the conservation of medicinal plants and their products. Following a capacity building intervention based on ESD and non-formal education principles, phase II results showed that the medicinal plant sellers had revised some of their business practices–such as pricing techniques and record keeping. However, processing of medicinal plant materials, storage, packaging and conservation remained a challenge that needed further attention. In particular, sustainable harvesting practices and cultivation of medicinal plants in home gardens still presented some difficulties