ENVIRONMENT REPORT
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April 12, 2002: Medicinal Plant Conservation
By Mario Ritter
This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.
Throughout history, people around the world have used traditional medicines made from plants. Today, these
medicines made from plants have gained new acceptance in the United States. However, the popularity of
medicines and products made from plants has caused concern that some of these valuable plants may disappear
from the wild.
Americans spend more than three-thousand-million dollars a year on herbal
medicines. About sixty-million Americans use these medicines. More and more
doctors are suggesting herbal medicines for their patients. However, there is little
research on how best to use these resources without destroying natural populations of
the plants.
Some medicinal plants are harvested in huge amounts. For example, thirty-four
million ginseng plants have been harvested each year from eastern forests in the
United States. Now, the National Park Service is trying to do more to discover how to
preserve herbal medicines that may be disappearing from America’s forests.
The Park Service helped organize the Plant Conservation Alliance. This group includes more than one-hundredforty
government agencies, private groups and educational organizations.
Some members of the group gathered with business leaders in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in February. Scientists,
business representatives, as well as American Indian tribal leaders met to discuss the use of medicinal plants. The
meeting explored concerns about medicinal plants that have not been dealt with before. The meeting did not
produce a statement on policy. However, it did show why efforts are needed to preserve wild medicinal plants.
At least one -hundred-seventy-five different kinds of plants are harvested for use as medicine. Some are very
common and are found in many areas. However, some medicinal plants are becoming rare. These include
ginseng, which is used to increase energy, and echinacea, which is used to fight infection.
Concern for medicinal plant populations may have a wider effect. Some delegates to the conference noted that
industries that use herbs in their products are now interested in preserving forests and natural areas. They say that
undeveloped forests can be more profitable than developed land.
This Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Mario Ritter.
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