Systemic drivers of medicinal plant exploitation and conservation on World Wildlife Day
Original framing: “Why medicinal plants matter on World Wildlife Day” — Global Issues
The article highlights the marginalization of Indigenous stewardship in plant conservation, emphasizing the need to center Indigenous sovereignty in global health systems. It critiques colonial-era resource extraction models and calls for a shift toward Indigenous knowledge as a foundation for sustainable medicinal plant use.
The systemic exploitation of medicinal plants is deeply rooted in colonial histories and corporate greenwashing, which marginalize Indigenous stewardship and ecological interdependence.
A holistic approach requires recentering Indigenous sovereignty, enforcing corporate accountability, and integrating cross-cultural knowledge into global health systems. By doing so, we can move toward a future where conservation is not just ecological but also ethical, equitable, and spiritually grounded.