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EQUIPPING HERBALISTS AS CONSERVATION ENTREPRENEURS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

EQUIPPING HERBALISTS AS CONSERVATION ENTREPRENEURS FOR SUSTAINABILITY. BY NIXON ELACHI ETHNOBOTANICAL R&D OFFICER-LWF OCTOBER 2013. INTRODUCTION.

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EQUIPPING HERBALISTS AS CONSERVATION ENTREPRENEURS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

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  1. EQUIPPING HERBALISTS AS CONSERVATION ENTREPRENEURS FOR SUSTAINABILITY BY NIXON ELACHI ETHNOBOTANICAL R&D OFFICER-LWF OCTOBER 2013

  2. INTRODUCTION • Herbalpreneurship (herbal products business) is a lucrative multibillion dollar business with ready global market. Questions have however arisen on the viability this venture in Kenya and yet Kenya has some of the very highly medicinal and nutritive plants, how come?

  3. TOUGH QUESTIONS • Is it sustainable? If not how can we make it sustainable so as not to conflict with mother nature • Have we rightly identified the specific plants-any scientific Research? • Where is the big market we hear of? Is there something we are not doing right? • Are we on the right side of the law? • Then where are the products-are they of quality?

  4. Sustainability • Unsustainable utilization of the botanical resources has led to banning and restriction of carrying out business on some plant species such as Aloes, sandalwood, Prunusafricanaetc. for they are endangered species • Those not restricted are quickly becoming threatened and yet people have to benefit from these herbal remedies which are taking over from conventional medicine

  5. How do we sustain? • Through sustainable wild harvesting • Domestication of the medicinal plants

  6. Sustainable wild harvesting • This is by having good harvesting practices such as; • Minimize unnecessary root harvesting • The bark shouldn’t be harvested round the stem, instead on one side at time and left to heal for at least 6 months • Do not overharvest the seeds, allow regeneration • Avoid harvesting the center anchoring roots, instead harvest the side roots on one side…more demonstration is in the FAO GACP Video to be watched

  7. Domestication of indigenous plants • Cultivation of the ethnobotanical species has proved to be the best way of sustainability both for conservation of biodiversity and improvement of livelihoods • DE-LWF has carried out cultivation of the medicinal plants on trial site in Laikipia and Samburu with plants like Oleaafricana (Mutero), P.africana (Muiri), WarbugiaUgandenis (Muthiga) etc.

  8. W. Ugandensison Loldaiga trial site

  9. Success stories of cultivation; • Ocimum and MondiaWhyteiin Kakamega • Nettleworld (stinging nettle)- Aberdares • Aloe species in Laikipia

  10. AUTHENTICATION & RESEARCH Authentication for any studies, research or any work to be done on any plant, there must be legal taxonomic identification; this is to ensure that one is working on the right plant. Recognized taxonomists are mandated to carry out this authentication.

  11. Research • This would involve but not limited to; • Indigenous knowledge • Books and publications • Desktop(internet research) • Laboratory research • Clinical tests/research It is important to note that Research needs a lot of resources and therefore a collaborative approach is fantastic.

  12. Research helps in validation • Information that is not validated is as good as false because it does not give any indication of a logical connection. • Many good herbal products have not been accepted because they are not backed by scientific evidence; whether the products surely work or not! • It is important to understand some of the chemical ingredients in a given plant species, for instance stinging nettle is known worldwide to be a bloodbuilder….what then makes it so scientifically?

  13. Cont’d • Most of this research has been done elsewhere by some scientist, understanding such findings makes a herbal-preneur empowered to put across the benefits of a given plant product. • Research institutions, universities and NGOs are important stakeholders in this field such as KEMRI, ICIPE, Uon, LWF e.t.c

  14. “AS THE WHEEL OF CONSERVATION TURNS, CONSERVATION ENTERPRISES ARE ENHANCED AND LIVELIHOODS ARE IMPROVED FOR MOTHER NATURE IS HAPPIER”- Nixon Elachi ASANTENI!!

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