(February 22, 2007) — The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has published its fifth survey quantifying annual harvests of selected North American plants that are subject to harvest from wild, uncultivated populations.

This report, the 2004–2005 Tonnage Survey of North American Wild Harvested Plants, covers the harvests from 2004 and 2005 for 26 botanical commodities derived from 22 plant species. The report includes data on both fresh and dried quantities of wild-harvested and cultivated materials. Recognized as a vital index of native U.S. botanicals consumption it also includes data from the four earlier surveys dating back to 1997.

"The long range trends that are now apparent tell a continuing story of our use of these important botanical commodities," said Steven Dentali, PhD, AHPA's VP of Scientific and Technical Affairs. "Several valued species are now farmed rather than solely gathered from the wild by collectors, which helps to ensure their future. The visible trends also appear to support the existence of responsible collection practices in the face of continuing loss of habitat."

AHPA's tonnage data are provided by botanical raw material suppliers who have a vested interest in ensuring that plants are harvested in a manner that assures their use by generations to come. This information helps to enable informed decisions by government regulators and may serve to support ongoing sustainable use of these plants. Compared to the information held by individual companies, these data are a much more powerful tool when tabulated to include the industry as a whole.

The latest report, Tonnage Survey of Select North American Wild-Harvested Plants, 2004–2005, is available to AHPA members from the AHPA website, at no charge. Non-members may purchase it for $35. The reports from 1999, 2000–2001, and 2002–2003 surveys are also available from the AHPA bookstore: http://www.ahpa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=68.

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The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is a trade association representing the core of the botanical trade — comprised of the finest growers, processors, manufacturers and marketers of herbal products. AHPA’s mission is to promote the responsible commerce of herbal products. AHPA committees generate self-regulations to ensure the highest level of quality with respect to the way herbs are manufactured, labeled, and sold. Website: www.ahpa.org.