Backtalk

Should Wildcrafting Be Banned?

As herbalism flourishes and winds its way into mainstream America, the issues surrounding wildcrafting vs. cultivating herbs become more important to address. Some herbalists believe plants grown and harvested from their natural environment are the most potent because they've adapted chemically to a particular clime. While this may be true, who will ensure that these wild plants are ethically harvested as the demand for herbal remedies grows? Those gunning for cultivation say farming medicinal plants is a superior method, better suited for both quality assurance and the environment when it comes to meeting demand. Whether cultivation becomes the sole means of supplying plants remains to be seen.

"Absolutely not. It's a vital part of world culture as a means of sustenance for a lot of people. Wildcrafting provides an economic incentive to preserve natural habitats. If we can create an incentive not to clearcut for timber or graze animals by having a strong wild harvesting culture, that's a good thing.

"There needs to be some oversight as to what plants are being collected, however. For example, we need tonnage surveys to determine how much of specific—especially threatened or sensitive—plants are being used and how much material is being collected from the wild vs. how much is cultivated. If we knew that tonnage information then we could determine if the wildcrafted demand is outstripping the supply and which herbs are good candidates for cultivation.

"We have to increase the education and skill of wildcrafters as well as industry awareness about wildcrafting practices. A good wildcrafter actually can increase yields of a particular herb by pruning or thinning natural populations so that the next year even more of the plant grows. That's the ideal state of wildcrafting."

Roy Upton
Executive Director and President,
American Herbal Pharmacopoeia
Santa Cruz, Calif.

"Cultivated vs. wildcrafted is a Ford vs. Chevy argument. I can see points on both sides. One thing we do know is we're desperately low on wildcrafted supply. With American ginseng and goldenseal, for example, it's not ethically responsible to continue [wildcrafting]. So understanding the chemistry and developing crops that have similar chemistry and pharmacology is important.

"There is a general understanding that wildcrafted botanicals tend to have a broader spectrum of chemical constituents, strength and pharmacological activity. This is mainly because they're allowed to fully mature where they've chosen to grow.

"The thing is, it's just impossible to meet the market demand with wildcrafted botanicals. We might be able to do it for one or two seasons but then we'd have nothing left to harvest. So the focus needs to be on looking at the chemistry of wildcrafted botanicals vs. cultivated botanicals and see how we can bring our cultivated products closer to the wildcrafted profile."

James P. Kababick
Director,
Flora Research
San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

"I don't believe in banning wildcrafting. I just believe wildcrafters should know what's going on on the planet. That includes the wildlife—we need to be sure we are not foraging plants that the animals really need. If you go to a spot where hundreds of deer are living off of raspberry bushes and then all of a sudden you start taking all they have to eat, the impact is too great. I don't want to stop foragers or wildcrafters at all, I just want them to be aware of what is endangered on all levels.

"I prefer cultivated plants because I've read that certain species are endangered, and the first thing in my mind is I don't want to harm anything endangered. So I'm very clear not to purchase wildcrafted herbs.

"The other part is that my products are all certified organic. I have to buy from people who are certified organic. It's my understanding that wildcrafted could be considered organic, but not necessarily certified. That's part of the reason I don't buy from wildcrafters."

Linda M. Smith
Owner, tea blender,
Divinitea Premium Organic Teas
Schenectady, N.Y.

"Being somewhat of a Libertarian, I don't like absolutes in that kind of situation. Should we have a ban for certain plants? Probably. Should we start with a moratorium? Yes. Generally speaking, I don't like banning things. Ban alcohol, look what happens. Ban drugs, look what happens. You create an underground economy that makes it even more popular.

"Let's do it on a case-by-case basis. The general idea behind a moratorium is, if in six months evidence shows the moratorium is working, fine, we can prolong it and it's not a problem. The all-or-nothing is dangerous. A moratorium on an endangered plant is great. It's just common sense."

Jonathon Evans
Business Representative,
Herbarium
Chicopee, Mass.