Sustainable use of wild species

70% of the world’s poor are directly dependent on wild species. In fact, 1 in 5 people rely on wild plants, algae or fungi for food or income. And 25,000 plant, algae and fungi species are gathered from the wild, representing the largest group of wild species collected by people; larger than those species fished or hunted. In fact, global trade in wild species has expanded significantly in the last several years.

For more than 15 years, UEBT has been a voice for wild species because:

  • The biggest threat to wild species is direct loss of habitat. Weakened ecosystems are threatened by human activities that are changing the climate, polluting land and water, and introducing invasive species.

  • Pervasive poverty is a significant driver of habitat loss as forests are felled for agricultural expansion, or other land uses.

What companies can do

1.     Source from the wild to give value to standing forests and other intact ecosystems.

3.     Respect the regeneration rates of your sourced wild ingredient so it can be there for us in the future.

4.     Engage in relationships with local suppliers that are long-term and based on dialogue and trust.

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) issued a groundbreaking report in 2022 on the sustainable use of wild species that was the result of four years of work by 85 leading experts and holders of indigenous and local knowledge, as well as 200 contributing authors drawing on more than 6,000 sources.  As part of this, they outlined what companies can do to support the sustainable use of wild species:

  • Take actions in supply chains that include the participation of workers and pickers.

  • Recognize and support local knowledge.

  • Not overburden local communities with costs of actions taken. 

  • Monitor practices and make improvements.

  • Use independent verification and certification when possible.

  • Take biodiversity actions, developed in the local context.

  • Support and work in partnership with indigenous peoples and local communities.

  • Seek out opportunities across the wider landscape and beyond the ingredient sourcing area.

Juniper berries

Wild-harvest programme

SAI Platform and UEBT partnered to accelerate the responsible sourcing of wild-harvested botanicals. SAI Platform recognised UEBT’s longstanding expertise on wild species and the UEBT standard that has requirements applicable to wild collection of botanicals, such as compliance with CITES, soil and water conservation, fair pay for pickers, gender equality, conservation and regeneration of the collected wild spaces, traceability and transparency in supply chains, and fair and equitable benefit sharing, among others.

Learn more about the UEBT wild-harvest programme.

 
 
“Companies need to move beyond biodiversity commitments on paper and move biodiversity into the space where it starts demanding the same level of attention that climate does, and with equal urgency.”
— Rachel Wynberg, IPBES Lead Author for Sustainable Use of Wild Species Assessment, and Bioeconomy Research Chair, University of Cape Town

Guidance

Guidance on regeneration of wild collected species

Download Factsheet

Other resources

Have a look at the following:

IPBES: Sustainable use assessment of wild species