The Commercial Uses of Wild and Traditionally Managed Plants in England and Scotland by Helen Sanderson and Hew D.V. Prendergast. 2002. Published by the Centre for Economic Botany, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew
Reviewed by Sara Oldfield

This report presents the results of a year long study to investigate commercial uses of wild and traditionally managed wild plants and fungi in England and Scotland. The study was undertaken to provide baseline information for use in improving the commercial viability of environmentally sensitive land management. The results of the study provide fascinating snapshots about the continuing albeit small contribution made by native plants to rural livelihoods in parts of the UK.

The report, supported by a database, brings together for the first time scattered information on the commercial uses of wild and traditionally managed plants, and as pointed out by the authors, significant gaps in the knowledge base remain. The process of data gathering from generally small scale and diverse operations was in itself clearly challenging. As stated in the report, finding out which plants are used was a question of locating people. Relying on information submissions as a result of media publicity proved to be relatively unsuccessful whereas direct contacts with appropriate organizations and enterprises yielded the majority of the information.

The information in the report is broken down primarily by habitat type looking at woodlands and hedgerows, wetlands, heathland and moorland and marine and coastal habitats. From the information presented it is clear that wetlands and woodlands are harvested most extensively for plant products (other than timber which is outside the scope of the study) in the form particularly of thatching materials and coppice products. Harvesting of both these product groups has been a very important form of traditional land management and clearly continues to be significant in some areas.

For certain product groups such as wild edible fungi, elderflowers for cordial production, reed cut for thatching and hurdles cut for garden fences, there is an increasing demand and/or potential for increased sales. In the case of reed cut for thatching demand is sufficiently high for the harvesting to remain commercially viable but the UK thatching industry currently relies on approximately 80 percent imported reed. From all the habitat and plant information assembled for this study no evidence was found of exploitation being ecologically unsustainable or of species coming under threat. Most of the species harvested are widespread, and in some cases such as nettles considered to be weeds. The only notes of caution relate to the general decline of fungi on a European scale and the illicit trade in wild or naturalized flower bulbs (for which more information is available than referred to in the report).

Although the taxonomy and distribution of wild plants is very well known in the UK, compared to much of the rest of the world, information on commercial use of wild plants or so-called "non timber forest products" has previously been scarcely documented. The results of this study whet the appetite but do not provide the full picture - with green wood products for example the report states that quantities and values are not documented but rather examples of usage provided. What this first report does emphasize is that although income generated and current employment provided by wild and semi-cultivated plants may be small it should not be overlooked. The provision of an extra source of income from wild-harvesting to support land management for conservation purposes - management which is often subsidized - seems particularly relevant in a UK context. The main recommendation of the report is that more comprehensive research and monitoring should be undertaken. It is to be hoped that this recommendation is swiftly taken up so that the role of sustainable wild harvesting in land management can be more fully realized.

Sara Oldfield is Director of the Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). Sara is also the author of 'Rainforest' and has been invited to Chair IUCN SSC's Task Force Trees. The report reviewed here is available electronically at: http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/scihort/commusesreport.pdf

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