Ownership and Sustainability Issues of Botanical Medicines

The World Health Organization estimates that more than70% of the world’s population, especially those who residein the tropics, rely almost exclusively on plants as aprimary source of medicines. Over the last decades anawareness has grown of the pharmacological potential ofmedicinal plants, and a potentially bright future for drugsdeveloped from natural products. At the same time, theuse of plants in medical practice contributes to the growingthreat to species and ecosystem preservation. Thispaper expands the narrow view of plants as sources forpharmaceutical development to discuss botanical medicinefrom an economic and human development perspective.I consider strategies that can ensure that the benefitsthat accrue from utilization of indigenous plant knowledgebecome positive forces for human development. Issues ofsustainability are discussed vis à vis poverty, protectionof ecosystems, and the potential for future use and longtermviability of medicinal species. Issues of ownershipalso are presented in the context of intellectual propertyrights, with particular reference to the inadequacy of patentrights to protect indigenous knowledge.