This World Wildlife Day focusses on a group of wild species essential for human health and ecological balance, yet often overlooked: medicinal and aromatic plants.
These plants grow in the wild and are harvested for their healing and wellbeing properties. They are widely used in modern and traditional medicines.
The World Health Organization notes their particular importance in developing countries, where up to 95 per cent of people rely on traditional medicine for primary healthcare.
Many familiar species—such as liquorice, argan, candelilla and frankincense—are part of our daily lives, found in kitchen cupboards, medicine cabinets and bathrooms, although mostly hidden.
But conservation assessments have only been carried out for a fraction of the many thousands of medicinal and aromatic plants in use.
Of those that have been assessed, many are threatened with extinction due to overharvesting. It is likely this is only the tip of the iceberg.
The threat of extinction is devastating for the millions of rural and often marginalised people who depend on harvesting, processing and trading wild plants for income, often in places where few alternatives exist.
Developing sustainable, legal and equitable supply chains which benefit both communities and nature is essential.
TRAFFIC’s mission is to ensure that trade in wild species is sustainable and legal, benefiting both people and the planet.
Our work in Nepal through local partners demonstrates what is possible: protecting the CITES‑listed species jatamansi while at the same time improving incomes - especially for women - through better trading conditions.
This is how we conserve nature, health and livelihoods!
Sustainable trade can deliver real, lasting change. This World Wildlife Day, let’s make trade work for both people and the planet.