Commercial Medicinal Plant Collection Is Transforming High-altitude Livelihoods in the Himalayas

Liv Timmermann,Carsten Smith-Hall

doi:10.1659/mrd-journal-d-18-00103.1

Abstract

Environmental products can contribute to livelihoods through support of current consumption and provision of an economic safety net. But what is their role in lifting households out of poverty? Here we investigate the absolute and relative economic importance of commercial medicinal plants, including the high-value Chinese caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), to rural livelihoods in the high mountains of Nepal. We assess their role in providing a household-level pathway out of poverty. Data are derived from a structured household survey (n = 72) conducted in Jumla District and covering a 9-year period (2006–2015), supplemented with key informant interviews. We found that income from selling wild-collected medicinal plant products constituted an average of 58% of the total annual household income and 78% of cash income. Medicinal plant income increased in the observation period—even though medicinal plant income per collection day decreased, income at the community level doubled. We argue that medicinal plant commercialization is a rare opportunity to increase locally derived and controlled incomes with a range of positive outcomes, such as supporting livelihood strategies and mitigating the negative effects of outmigration.

Highlights

Environmental products are economically important for rural livelihoods throughout the global South: their average annual contribution has been estimated at 28% of total household income (Angelsen et al 2014)
Dollars (Edwards 1996; Olsen 2005; Olsen and Helles 2009); (2) there are recent indications that volumes and unit prices are increasing for many products in response to increased demand from India and China (Pyakurel et al 2018); and (3) there is a dearth of local-level studies documenting the economic importance of these commercial medicinal plant products to rural households
The distribution of income was similar across the 3 terciles, with environmental income being the dominant source of income, followed by nonfarm income (19%, 18–21%) and farm income (16%, 15– 17%)

Summary

Introduction

Environmental products are economically important for rural livelihoods throughout the global South: their average annual contribution has been estimated at 28% of total household income (Angelsen et al 2014). We limit our focus to income poverty (see Angelsen and Wunder 2003 for a broader discussion of environmental products and concepts of poverty) This is a interesting case as (1) there is a huge nationwide collection and trade in medicinal plants with annual volumes of tens of thousands of tons, distributed across more than 50 products, worth tens of millions of US dollars (Edwards 1996; Olsen 2005; Olsen and Helles 2009); (2) there are recent indications that volumes and unit prices are increasing for many products in response to increased demand from India and China (Pyakurel et al 2018); and (3) there is a dearth of local-level studies documenting the economic importance of these commercial medicinal plant products to rural households

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion