Title : Cultivation, Market and Uses of Nepal’s Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Reflections on Local and National Policy
Abstract:
Nepal is a least-developed land-locked country with spectacular scenery and very high species diversity of many taxonomic groups. It is a center of adaptive radiation for many animal and plant families. The country boasts over 2,500 species of non-timber forest products of all kinds (NTFPs) and at least 160 species of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPS) that are used in trade. Traditionally, Nepal has supplied raw, wild materials for the large Ayurvedic industry (traditional South Asian plant-based medicines) based in India. Since Ayurvedic products are also widely used in Nepal, and some species can be cultivated, much more revenue could be generated in-country if at least some popular species were cultivated at large scales and if at least some final products were manufactured locally.
For these reasons, the Government of Nepal proposed a national NTFP policy in the early 2000’s and has been implementing the policy since that time with a goal of improving rural livelihoods in impoverished districts of the Himalayas. One main objective is to study up to 30 species of MAPs that show some promise for cultivation on small farm plots, and thus improving local livelihoods in rural areas. Another objective is to develop national industries, where feasible, to produce Ayurvedic medicines directly as opposed to exporting raw materials to India, only to import value-added medicinal products from India. Here we assess Nepal’s NTFP Policy and consider its strengths and weaknesses as currently implemented. We conclude that it shows a great deal of promise and potential. It is clearly a step forward in meeting millennial development goals and in meeting some of the criteria for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It has also attracted a good deal of interest and funding from several international and national-level non-governmental organizations (NGOs) due to its potential. However, our review shows that that some concerns remain and we end with several recommendations to improve this sector.
Take Away Notes:
• The audience will learn about a viable case study relevant for other developing countries, in how the sustainable use of biodiversity can ben managed to improve rural livelihoods, and how the policy is addressing the national-level economy though intense study of potentially cultivatable MAPs. The approach of this case study can be applied to a number of renewable resources that are locally collected for broader markets.
