Abstract
Habitat destruction and urbanisation of many parts of the world have contributed to a decrease in the diversity of species being used in agriculture and for economic uses as well as our knowledge about the traditional uses of our biodiversity. The work undertaken by ethnobotanists can assist help access the impact biodiversity loss has on the well being of communities. However, scientists wishing to research biodiversity are faced with having to obtain the correct permits to collect species and any associated traditional knowledge about the uses of these species. This paper provides a summary of the types of agreements that are needed for ethnobotanical studies and the importance of having “prior informed consent” and “Access and Benefit-Sharing” clauses in research agreements, especially when dealing with traditional knowledge.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the many scientists and lawyers that have influenced how I have developed plant-based research projects that include traditional knowledge, especially Darrel Posey, Ghillean Prance, Alan Hamilton, Phyllida Middlemiss, Kerry ten Kate and China Williams as well as the people I have worked with in communities from different parts of Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.
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Simmonds, M.S. (2009). Opportunities and Challenges for Ethnobotany at the Start of the Twenty-First Century. In: Osbourn, A., Lanzotti, V. (eds) Plant-derived Natural Products. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85498-4_5
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