Help to stop wild harvesting of plants to extinction

Overhead view of woman in white, working while seated on rug, head covered, with multiple baskets of variously processed brown argan tree kernels in front of her and hands in one. — *Processing argan oil from kernels of the tree in Morocco, for use either as food or in cosmetics*

With some of the world’s most well-known wild plants being harvested to extinction – including liquorice, argan, and frankincense – a newly launched practical framework will help make sourcing more sustainable.

Wild-harvested plants and fungi are staples of global daily life, yet many of the species behind them face extinction through over-harvesting, habitat loss and climate change.

Of the many thousands of medicinal and aromatic plants in trade, only a fraction have ever had a conservation assessment, and a large share of those are already threatened.

In response, the Wild Harvest Improvement Project (WHIP) Framework provides a step-by-step plan to help local communities and the companies buying from them make their sourcing and supply more sustainable.

Bringing commerce and conservation together

Diagram shows Summary of WHIP portrayed as journey arc from L-R, beginning with Scoping and ending in Proving Improvements.

Borrowing from the model that revived global fisheries, this practical new framework is designed to maintain wild-harvested plants in commercial supply, but at the same time keep them out of danger.

The Framework has been launched by global wild trade NGO TRAFFIC, in partnership with British conservation consultancy Biodiversify. It was developed in conjunction with the Global Diversity Foundation (GDF), the Moroccan Biodiversity & Livelihoods Association (MBLA) and the FairWild Foundation.

The WHIP Framework has been funded by the UK Government through the Darwin Initiative grant scheme.

It has already been piloted in Morocco, on argan kernels, and in Uzbekistan, on liquorice roots, demonstrating its potential to support community-led governance and equitable trade.

The kind of help it offers companies around responsible sourcing should prove particularly timely for organisations facing 2030 targets and obligations under the broader Global Biodiversity Framework.

Dependence on ingredients for income

The fact that ingredients commonly found in kitchen cupboards and medicine cabinets are currently at risk of being harvested until they disappear is obviously a concern for consumers. More importantly, however, that outcome would be devastating for the millions of people who depend on harvesting for their income.

The situation calls for help, not blame, says Cara Flowers, Sustainable Supply Chain Manager at TRAFFIC:

“Sustainability in wild harvesting is not achieved by walking away from supply chains. The people who know these species best are the people harvesting them. They need a route that recognises the progress they are already making.

“A WHIP ensures these species remain a critical part of their ecosystems while helping the people who harvest them earn a dignified living. That is a commercial argument as much as a conservation one.”

Bridging gaps in sourcing and supply

Diagram illustrates gap between producers and certified companies, listing problems like lack of quality assurance and information sharing.

Diagram illustrates how WHIP bridges gap between producers and certified companies, plus role of stakeholder participation.

Helping remove obstacles to progress and improvement, WHIP is designed as a bridge for those who want to protect nature but are currently hindered by high costs, low visibility or a lack of market incentives.

Rather than treat certification as all-or-nothing, it offers a flexible action plan that allows producers and companies to make measurable improvements over time until fully ready for sustainability validation.

The new framework brings together everyone involved, including harvesters, governments, NGOs and the companies buying the ingredients. First, they agree shared goals. Then, acting collectively, they use a gradual work plan to address specific challenges such as biodiversity loss or unfair working conditions.

For transparency and accountability, participants must publicly declare their involvement and provide evidence of improvement. This ensures that progress can be checked rather than simply assumed.

Protecting nature is a win-win, explains Caitlin Schindler, Principal Consultant at Biodiversify:

“Every business both depends on nature and affects it; and each has a chance to help protect it in ways that also reduce their own long-term risk.

“The ingredients companies know least about are often the ones they are most exposed to. Wild harvest sits outside the plantation and the farm gate, so it rarely shows up in supply chain data until a species or community is in trouble.”

Prior to their role at Biodiversify, Schindler worked previously as Plants Trade Programme Manager at TRAFFIC, and led on the creation of the WildCheck knowledge and collaboration platform there.

The challenge facing supply chains is real, concludes Schindler:

“What makes WHIP different is that it gives a company a credible first step instead of an unreachable standard. Having spent years working on the realities of wild-harvested plant supply chains, I have seen how often companies want to act but have no practical route in. WHIP gives them one.”

Finance and infrastructure, to human rights

The WHIP launch comes as global businesses face increasing obligations under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

Based on the framework’s findings, TRAFFIC and partners are calling on businesses to assess the wild-harvest risks within their supply chains, particularly those related to biodiversity loss and to the ‘hidden’ ingredients that rarely appear in sourcing data. An easy way to start is by using the WildCheck platform.

As a global non-governmental organisation (NGO), TRAFFIC works to ensure that trade in wild species is legal and sustainable, for the benefit of the planet and people. When legal and sustainable, wildlife trade can be a powerful force for good: protecting biodiversity and bringing economic benefits.

Biodiversify is a conservation consultancy that partners with clients committed to nature. It seeks to educate and support clients in mitigating biodiversity loss throughout their operations and supply chains.

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