On World Wildlife Day, I like to talk about medicinal and aromatic plants, a gift of nature that has been humanity’s first pharmacy for thousands of years.
Medicinal and aromatic plants have healed people and supported cultures long before modern medicine existed.
And today, many of these plants are actually part of modern medicine.
For instance, the African cherry is used to make treatments for prostate and urinary problems.
Another example is the yew tree, like the one behind me.
Native to the Northern Hemisphere, they are among the longest‑living trees on Earth.
Some are thousands of years old.
They are famous for a striking paradox: they are highly toxic, yet they gave rise to Taxol, one of the world’s most important and widely used cancer drugs.
But today that legacy is at risk.
Climate change, habitat loss, overharvesting, and illegal trade are pushing many of these plants—and the traditional knowledge tied to them—toward extinction.
The high value of some species, such as agarwood, makes governance of harvest and trade challenging.
Many species are not managed sustainably, and there is often organized criminal involvement.
The good news is that these plants are receiving increasing attention at CITES.
I was pleased to see agarwood, a high‑value species used in incense, listed in CITES Appendix II at the last Conference of the Parties in December.
On World Wildlife Day, we call on governments to adopt a holistic approach to the conservation of these species.
That means protecting their natural habitats, supporting sustainable harvesting, and ensuring fair recognition and benefit‑sharing with the knowledge holders.
When we protect these medicinal and aromatic plants, we are not only preserving nature; we are investing in our health and safeguarding humanity’s shared heritage.