A new joint project of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and WWF is being implemented to promote sustainable use and conservation in the upper Yangtze River basin in China.
Rather than prohibiting harvesting of traditional Chinese medicinal plants found there, 18 participating villages can increase their income through the project and gain a foothold in a growing market.
21 May 2012: A new UN Development Programme (UNDP) and World Wildlife Federation (WWF) project is supporting farmers in adopting common cash-crop species suitable for collective planting and sales.
The project is being implemented in response to the fact that an estimated 75% of commercially harvested traditional Chinese medicinal plants are found in the mountain landscapes of the upper Yangtze River basin. Rather than prohibiting harvesting, 18 participating villages can generate a 20% increase in cash income through the project, and gain a foothold in a market that is growing at 12% annually.
In Daping village, a plant known for its use in traditional Chinese medicine, Schisandra, was selected as a suitable cash-crop to help villagers generate income. UNDP organized workshops and lectures to promote sustainable harvesting and management of the crop and, with WWF support, helped set up a community conservation committee. WWF also assisted with the establishment of a non-profit producers’ association. Schisandra crops from the Daping village recently were certified as organic by the US and the EU, and the association has signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an international purchaser.
The project is supported by a US$1.8 million grant under the EU-China Biodiversity Programme. [UNDP News]