Development of a Conservation Policy on Commercially Exploited Medicinal Plants: A Case Study from Southern Africa

The majority of the population of many developing countries use traditional medicines either because people cannot afford western pharmaceuticals or because traditional medicines are more acceptable. The southern African region is no exception. Recent studies in Botswana (Staugard, 1985), Zimbabwe (Gelfand et al., 1985) and South Africa (Berglund, 1976; Cunningham, 1988; Ngubane, 1977) all document the important role that traditional medicines plays in the lives of people in rural and urban communities in southern Africa. This urban demand for traditional medicines generates a commercial trade in medicinal plants from rural source areas to urban markets and shops.