Access and Benefit-Sharing in the Context of Ethnobotanical Research
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Access and Benefit-Sharing in the Context of Ethnobotanical Research Is the Creation of a Medicinal Plant Garden an Appropriate Means? A Field Study from Shaxi, Northwest Yunnan, China Master Thesis by Matthias S. Geck Institute of Systematic Botany University of Zurich Switzerland Supervised by Dr. Caroline Weckerle Submitted to Prof. Dr. Peter Linder August 2011 Contact: Matthias Geck Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zurich Zollikerstr. 107 8008 Zurich Switzerland [email protected] Front cover (from left to right): Drosera peltata, a local medicinal plant species; visitors at the opening ceremony of the Shaxi Medicinal Plant Garden; scene from the weekly market in Shaxi. i Table of contents Abstract.....................................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................v 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….1 1.1. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and access and benefit-sharing (ABS)………………………………………………………………………………….1 1.1.1. The Convention on Biological Diversity……………………………………….1 1.1.2. The Bonn Guidelines (BGLs)…………………………………………………..2 1.1.3. The Nagoya Protocol…………………………………………………………...2 1.1.4. ABS implementations…………………………………………………………..3 1.2. State of research in Northwest Yunnan……………………………………………….4 1.3. Research goals………………………………………………………………………...6 2. Research area……………………………………………………………………………..6 2.1. Environment…………………………………………………………………………..6 2.1.1. Geography, geology and climate.........................................................................6 2.1.2. Vegetation...........................................................................................................8 2.2. People...........................................................................................................................11 2.2.1. Ethnic groups.....................................................................................................11 2.2.2. History...............................................................................................................15 2.2.3. Economy............................................................................................................16 2.2.4. Medical system..................................................................................................20 2.2.5. Religion and traditions......................................................................................20 3. Methodology......................................................................................................................26 3.1. Interviews....................................................................................................................26 3.1.1. Appraisal of feasibility......................................................................................26 3.1.2. Background information related to the project..................................................27 3.1.3. Selection of plants and a location for the garden..............................................29 3.1.4. Preliminary evaluation of the project................................................................31 3.2. Voucher specimens and collection of ecological data................................................31 3.2.1. Identification and deposition of specimens.......................................................31 3.2.2. Collecting ecological data.................................................................................31 3.3. Policies and permits...................................................................................................32 3.3.1. CBD and ABS...................................................................................................32 3.3.2. PIC.....................................................................................................................32 3.3.3. Coding of interview partners.............................................................................32 3.3.4. Permits...............................................................................................................32 4. Results and discussion......................................................................................................32 4.1. Feasibility of creating a medicinal plant garden in Shaxi............................................32 4.1.1. Local opinions and ideas on creating a medicinal plant garden........................32 4.1.2. Tourists’ opinions and ideas on creating a medicinal plant garden..................36 4.1.3. Conclusions from background interviews with local people and tourists.........37 4.2. Background information required for the creation of a medicinal plant garden in Shaxi............................................................................................................................37 4.2.1. Common ailments and herbal remedies............................................................38 4.2.2. Local medicinal plant database.......................................................................41 4.2.3. Data on cultivated and merchandised medicinal plants....................................45 4.2.4. Local classification of soil and vegetation types...............................................53 4.2.5. Insights into local gardening practices and concepts........................................55 ii 4.2.6. Choice of a location for the medicinal plant garden.........................................58 4.2.7. Choice of herbal medicine to be planted...........................................................59 4.3. Design and construction of the Shaxi medicinal plant garden.....................................61 4.3.1. Design of the garden..........................................................................................62 4.3.2. Information presented in the garden..................................................................64 4.3.3. Imbedding the garden in the local community..................................................64 4.3.4. Links of the garden with tourism......................................................................69 4.4. Preliminary Evaluation of the Project..........................................................................70 4.4.1. The garden, its sustainability and potential impacts..........................................70 4.4.2. Lessons learned.................................................................................................71 5. References..........................................................................................................................73 Appendix 1. Medicinal plants..................................................................................................................I 1.1. Full list...........................................................................................................................I 1.2. Species cultivated in the garden...........................................................................XXVII 2. Supplemental data.....................................................................................................XXXII 2.1. Interview guides...................................................................................................XXXII 2.2. Paired comparison of locations for the garden........................................................XXV 2.3. Choice of herbal medicine to be planted.............................................................XXXVI 3. Information presented in the garden.............................................................................XL 4. Botanical illustrations....................................................................................................LIII 5. Additional information...............................................................................................LVIII 5.1. Introduction to Chinese herbal medicine................................................................LVIII 5.2. Important festivals in Shaxi........................................................................................LX 5.3. Overwiew of practices and traditions regarding Rites de passage in Shaxi.............LXI 5.4. Tourism in Shaxi....................................................................................................LXIV iii Abstract The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) demands the sustainable use of natural resources as well as the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their utilization. This is of particular importance to developing nations and local and indigenous communities, which are economically poor but rich in natural resources. While the Bonn Guidelines and the Nagoya Protocol provided some clarity on access and benefit-sharing (ABS) issues, specific recommendations for the implementation of the ABS provisions are still limited. This is particularly the case for ethnobotanical research, where natural resources and the associated traditional knowledge are used, but the researchers do not obtain direct financial benefits from the utilization. The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether the creation of a medicinal plant garden can be considered an appropriate means of implementing ABS in the context of ethnobotanical research, particularly under the specific conditions of the research area in Shaxi, Northwest Yunnan, China. Previous ethnobotanical research had been conducted in the area and showed the desire