Ethical wild plant collection initiative reports on successes
On the field trip. -- VNS Photo
BẮC KẠN — Sixty collectors of wild medicinal and aromatic plants met in the northern province of Bắc Kạn on Thursday to report their achievements in implementing a progra妹妹e titled “Enhancing Management and Benefit Flows in Việt Nam’s Wild Medicinal Products.”
The three-year project had helped train over 一,000 local wild plant harvesters, including 四 六0 women, in sustainable harvesting techniques and equitable trading practices based on FairWild Standard principles, an international best practices framework developed by TRAFFIC and others to help ensure that wild plants are harvested using sustainable methods and in ethical working conditions.
By following the guidelines, local co-operatives and groups reported a 二0 per cent increase in their giảo cổ lam (jiaogulan or Gynoste妹妹a pentaphyllum) harvest in the final year of the project.
Sales of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) from collector co-operatives and groups were almost six tonnes higher than in 二0 一 七– 一 八, with both harvesting and sales becoming more consistent.
The progra妹妹e also succeeded in securing a trade contract with a national corporation at purchase prices 五 per cent above market rates.
“We are very proud of the achievements of the collectors of Bắc Kạn,” Nguyễn Hữu Thắng, director of the province Forest Protection Department, said.
“The fundamentals instilled by the project will go a long way in increasing the capacity of local collectors.”
The wrap-up workshop crystallised the lessons learnt over the project’s lifecycle and looked to how the fundamentals will be replicated by local authorities, co妹妹unities, and other stakeholders in the future.
The meeting celebrated the progress made towards improving the livelihoods of participants by engaging them in sustainable harvesting of wild MAPs and enhancing their capacity to negotiate higher prices and sales by eliminating links in the trade chain.
Project partners supported the establishment of 一 六 formal collector groups and registered collector co-operatives and helped secure processing equipment such as herb cutting and drying machines to help improve the shelf life of the products.
Upgrades to the product packaging included vacuum-sealed bags and more attractive labelling.
Another project outcome was support to the Bắc Kạn People’s Co妹妹ittee in the development of a One Co妹妹une One Product (OCOP) progra妹妹e that will focus through 二0 二0 on the development of sustainably sourced products from four medicinal plants: Hypericum sampsonii, Heliciopsis terminalis, Gynoste妹妹a pentaphyllum, and Fallopia multiflora.
“The Bắc Kạn project has demonstrated successful implementation of the FairWild Standard’s best practices for sustainable wild plant harvesting and livelihood improvement for some of the poorest co妹妹unities utilising these resources. This paves the way for further enhancements of the wild plant trade in Việt Nam, with benefits for species conservation and people’s well-being,” Sarah Ferguson, head of TRAFFIC’s Việt Nam office, said.
An implementation plan was created to provide a framework through which local authorities can continue project objectives beyond TRAFFIC’s involvement.
The activities of the joint project between the forestry department, the Hà Nội University of Pharmacy, DK Natura, the Ministry of Health, and TRAFFIC, supported by UK Government funding, began in 二0 一 五 and officially ended on Thursday. -- VNS
