IDRC's MAPPA project moved to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal through a devolution process in 2005. For more information on the MAPPA program, please visit ICIMOD's site at www.icimod.org  or www.mappa-asia.org. 

You can also get in touch with the MAPPA Coordinator, Dr. R.B.S. Rawat at rrawat@icimod.org , arid@icimod.org.

Background: Roots in South Asia
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Benefits and Challenges
The Program, Objectives and Research Focus
Success Story: A Medicinal Plants Project
Medicinal Plants Global Network
Opportunities with MAPPA
Contact Us 

View a list of Current MAPPA Publications at the end of this document (as well as on the left side)

MAPPA: Roots in South Asia

In South Asia, medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are an essential part of traditional health care systems. Their gathering and cultivation provide a critical source of income for many rural communities, especially landless poor and marginalized farmers. MAPs are also inextricably linked to the region's natural biodiversity. Unfortunately, MAPs are increasingly threatened by various environmental, socioeconomic and institutional problems. At the same time traditional and indigenous knowledge about these plants is weakening and, in some cases, vanishing altogether. While attempts have been made (both at local and national levels) to address these issues, they have suffered from inadequate funding, a lack of government prioritization, and insufficient information sharing and coordination among stakeholders. After a number of years of supporting research on MAPs in the region, IDRC, in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, launched the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Program in Asia (MAPPA) in 1998. MAPPA is based at IDRC's South Asia Regional Office in New Delhi.

MAPPA's main goal is to institute a system of long-term sustainable and equitable use of MAPs. The objective is to improve resource conservation and livelihood security in rural and marginalized communities. The mechanism is the design, support and coordination of a holistic research program to strengthen linkages between stakeholders within the MAP production to consumption chain. This is being achieved through strategic research, partnership building and the promotion of regional and international networking. MAPPA's focus currently encompasses the entire South Asian region, with ongoing plans to reach out to other parts of Asia. Through regional, national and local partners, including government organizations (GOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), national research institutions and universities, MAPPA has developed a regional network of expertise in community-based MAP conservation, participatory research, and documentation.

Back to Top

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs): Benefits & Challenges

Traditional, Affordable Health Care
South Asia is home to many rich, traditional systems of medicine. Ayurvedic methods date back to 5000 B.C. Along with the Unani, Siddha and Tibetan systems, they remain an important source of everyday health and livelihood for tens of millions of people. Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), including trees, shrubs, grasses and vines, are a central resource for these traditional health systems, as well as for pharmaceutical (or allopathic) medicines. There are more than 8,000 plant species in South Asia with known medicinal uses.

Medicinal plants are an accessible, affordable and culturally appropriate source of primary health care for more than 80% of Asia's population (WHO). Marginalized people, who cannot afford or access formal health care systems, are especially dependent on these culturally familiar, technically simple, financially affordable and generally effective traditional medicines. As such, there is widespread interest in promoting traditional health systems to meet primary health care needs. This is especially true in South Asia, as prices of modern medicines spiral and governments find it increasingly difficult to meet the cost of pharmaceutical-based health care. Throughout the region, there is strong and sustained public support for the protection and promotion of the cultural and spiritual values of traditional medicines.

Widespread Demand for MAPs
Conservative estimates put the monetary value of MAP-related global trade at over 60 billion USD (Govt. of India, 2000). With increasing popular demand for medicinal plants, both in South Asia and internationally, this trade is expected to grow to 5 trillion by the year 2050 (FRLHT, 1996). Besides health benefits, MAPs also provide crucial livelihood options for millions of rural people in South Asia, particularly women, tribal peoples, and the very poor. India is the centre of South Asia's export trade in medicinal plants, and in this country alone, it is estimated that the collection and processing of medicinal plants contributes to at least 35 million workdays of employment a year. Unfortunately, while demand rises, inequitable trade practices have meant that only a small margin of the profits from MAPs trickle down to the collectors and harvesters. Highly developed illegal trading networks in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Myanmar control the raw MAPs trade, through lax border controls. Despite this, no regional collaboration in implementing international covenants relating to biodiversity exists to stem this growing illegal market.

Impacts of Commercialization
The expansion of unregulated trade and commercial use of MAPs poses a major threat to biodiversity in the region. Local communities tend to collect the highest value or most popular plant species, leading to over-harvesting or species extinction. Even when MAP species are safely cultivated, if done with mono-cropping systems, local biodiversity can be weakened. Finally, as 95 % of MAPs are harvested and collected in wild, the alarming levels of deforestation and ecosystem degradation in the region are also contributing to a decline in MAPs. Combined, all of these factors have severely reduced the availability of medicinal plant ingredients and the overall environmental sustainability of the region.

Along with the deterioration of resources, the cultural heritage surrounding MAP use is being eroded. Unstandardized expertise and knowledge of traditional systems of medicine, as well as inadequate processing and storage facilities, can result in ineffective or unsafe treatments. The absence of institutional support, appropriate validation systems, and quality control protocol for indigenous health practices, threatens valuable MAP knowledge and use practices, as well as public health.

Back to Top

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Program in Asia (MAPPA)

A Program of IDRC's South Asia Regional Office (SARO)
In response to the rising number of threats facing both MAP resources and the local communities that depend on them, IDRC initiated support for research on South Asian medicinal plants in 1994. Currently, this research is coordinated through the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Program in Asia (MAPPA), under IDRC's Sustainable Use of Biodiversity Program Initiative (SUB PI). The Ford Foundation provides co-funding support.

MAPPA is a unique program of strategic research, collaboration and networking. The program takes a holistic approach to research and supports activities that integrate biodiversity conservation, primary health care, sustainable livelihoods, and gender equity. MAPPA strives to ensure that this action-oriented research informs both national and international policy, as well as local level stakeholders.

Specific Objectives

• Support Research on viable approaches for the sustainable production and processing of medicinal plants to benefit the poor through better incomes and/or improved access to health care options;
• Promote Collaboration among counties of South Asia in policy formulation and information sharing in the context of implementing international covenant such as the Convention on Biodivesity (CBD).
• Provide Networking Support by facilitating two-way communication, coordination, collaboration and information dissemination among IDRC partners and other stakeholders including research groups and donors.

MAPPA's Regional Approach

MAPPA is a special program that promotes problem solving research and development with an extensive regional focus covering the whole of South Asia. This regional network approach is critical for a number of reasons:

• Species distribution and ecological boundaries do not coincide with political boundaries;
• Exchange of raw products involves a number of trans-boundary transactions based on historically established trading links and kith-and-kin relationships (family, ethnic, and socially based networks);
• Regional collaboration for effectively implementing international covenants relating to biodiversity, trade and the sustainable use of MAP resources is essential.

MAPPA's Research Program Focus

1 Sustainable Use and Conservation of MAPs, by promoting sustainable management and genetic conservation schemes at the community level :

• Target important species, especially those which are rare and/or endangered, and develop appropriate methods to restock natural and domesticated plant supplies;
• Develop and value-add gender sensitive technologies and practices for the sustainable conservation, harvesting and cultivation of these targeted species;
• Design sustainable conservation and use strategies that balance conservation needs with ideal domestic and commercial demands;
• Establish local, state and national policies for community-based conservation and sustainable management, as well as appropriate and workable implementation mechanisms.

2 Improved livelihoods for rural poor in Asia, by developing innovative strategies to ensure a more equitable distribution of benefits, especially between impoverished upland dwellers and indigenous communities :

• Develop and provide training for value-addition activities such as improved storage, primary processing, packaging and marketing of MAP products among rural communities;
• Emphasize improving collection, cultivation and marketing conditions and benefits for women;
• Develop and realize "bio-partnerships" between local communities and industry, fostering a more balanced division of benefits between these groups to ensure long-term sustainable conservation strategies;
• Carry out gender analysis of MAP activities including harvesting, production and exchange of selected species and their derived products;
• Influence both national and local policies and their timely and suitable reforms, institutional mechanisms that can provide more incentives for conservation and cultivation, and local control over resources and increased benefits to the rural poor.

3 Improved human health by promoting MAPs as a means of safe and effective health care that can fulfill the primary health care needs of rural poor, and by increasing access to, and use of, MAPs:

• Assess the effects MAP commercialization has had on local health systems;
• Develop ways to understand local health care needs, as well as, approaches to improve the delivery of safe, effective and affordable health care to communities;
• Emphasize the documentation and use of local and gendered MAP knowledge and practices in order to improve their overall acceptance, value and use;
• Develop appropriate policies and laws to support the use of medicinal plants to meet primary health care needs, particularly for rural poor.

4 Networking to facilitating communication and collaboration :

• Promote networking at all levels among key actors involved in medicinal plants R & D. The goal is to increase the exchange of information, collaboration and coordination of activities;
• Identify ways to reach the diversity of MAP interest groups, recognizing skewed access to information and communication technologies;
• Promote discussion among different interest groups, especially encouraging the private sector, health care professionals, conservationists and government representatives.

Back to Top

Success Story: A Medicinal Plants Project

Arya Vaidya Sala (AVS) in Kottakkal, Kerala :
Preserving Nature and Tradition

Medicinal plants can provide important development options for communities throughout India. As supplies of medicinal plants (med plants) quickly diminish, the Arya Vaidya Sala (AVS), a charitable institution offering authentic Ayurvedic medicines and treatments, has embarked upon an innovative project to ensure the sustainable supply of med plants materials to the industry. To ensure that vital genetic resources are not lost due to deforestation, species adulteration or total extinction, AVS, with support from IDRC, Canada, has created the Medicinal Plants Germplasm Bank where med plants have been carefully identified for their authenticity and preserved. The bank also serves as a common resource center to ensure a supply of med plant materials during shortages. To protect med plant biodiversity, species have been reintroduced to their natural habitats and ex-situ med plant gardens have been created. These activities not only conserve med plant resources, but also ensure the long-term provision of both quality plant seedlings for cultivation and rare plant products for manufacturing Ayurvedic drugs. The long-term goal of the IDRC-AVS project is to ensure a sustainable supply of quality raw materials to the med plants-based drug industry by organizing small-scale growers and commercial cultivators.

Interested and capable farmers have been mobilized and trained on the techniques and technology of med plant cultivation necessary for growing quality materials. In order to ensure a market for these resources, AVS itself has taken the lead by entering into a buyback guarantee with med plant cultivators. By doing this, they have created the necessary incentives to cultivate medicinal plants. In turn, this cultivation is expected to reduce pressure on natural resource stocks and ensure the use of high quality raw plant materials in the production of traditional medicines. While benefiting the industry, these operations also support rural livelihoods by generating employment and raising income.

Recognizing the social elements of med plants-based development, the AVS project has also supported the utilization of medicinal plants for the health care and income of marginalized people, especially women and unemployed youth. Women have been trained to cultivate medicinal plants, focusing on 60 plants that can be used in the preparation of household remedies, as well as, given practical training on formulating first-aid medicines. This knowledge has enabled them to earn income through sales of their homemade treatments.

By creating greater ecological awareness and improved livelihood options, the IDRC-AVS project has in turn created incentives for communities to conserve and sustainably use their med plant resources for the benefit of their communities. The AVS, in Kottakkal, Kerala, is a centre providing safe and effective health care to the local community. The IDRC- supported Medicinal Plants (India) project has been running at the AVS since 1993.

Back to Top

Medicinal Plants Global Network

As a partner of a global medicinal plants network, MAPPA is linked to MAP resources and forums and fostered by MAP networks and concerned organizations. The medplant global network is a global network of networks. It links and improves collaboration between existing regional initiatives and networks on the sustainable use and conservation of medicinal plants. The electronic network allows partners from around the world to post relevant medicinal plants information online, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and strengthening existing regional and local networks. To find out more visit www.bellanet.org/medplants.

Back to Top

Opportunities with MAPPA

Given the scale and scope of the challenges in working toward the sustainable development of MAPs in Asia, MAPPA actively fosters synergistic research partnerships with other donor agencies, national programs and research partners. It is hoped that partnerships will continue to strengthen the MAPPA program in the future

Working with MAPPA
MAPPA mobilizes resources from donors such as IDRC and the Ford Foundation and periodically invites proposals from relevant NGOs, GOs, research institutes, foundations, community-based organizations (CBOs), and universities etc. Individual researchers, scientists and academicians are also eligible to apply with the endorsement of their respective institutions. We encourage proposals from Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Pakistan and India. The average grant provided is approximately $25,000 (Canadian Dollars). The amount will cover research and dissemination expenses including honoraria, local travel, research materials and simple equipment, publications, and meetings. The project duration can vary from six months to two years based on the scope and nature of the proposed research. Proposals are reviewed by a MAPPA Committee, which includes representation from MAPPA partners. Selection of proposals is based on the relevance of the research topic, novelty of the methods proposed and the application potential of the results. In addition to monitoring the selected projects, MAPPA staff also promote successful implementation by facilitating the integration of network member inputs into the process. MAPPA organizes workshops and conferences, commissions special studies and participates in the design and development of bilaterally and multilaterally funded development projects. Funding guidelines and application information is available on the main IDRC website or by contacting MAPPA. Prior to sending a complete proposal, we recommend submitting a two-page concept paper briefly outlining the proposed research.

Information Dissemination and Networking
MAPPA is dedicated to the quick and appropriate dissemination of research information. In collaboration with The Foundation for the Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), MAPPA publishes a quarterly newsletter to relate its activities to partners and support groups. MAPPA also publishes research reports, technical papers and proceedings of its meetings. It plans to publish Tool Books, Manuals and Guidelines, preferably in local languages for disseminating information at the grass roots level. MAPPA encourages networking through biannual meetings, as well as information sharing through Internet networks and between researchers. This website maintains a list of Current MAPPA Publications.

Program Administration
Medicinal plants research activities in Asia are part of IDRC's global program in medicinal plants under the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity (SUB) Program Initiative. For more information on MAPPA, please contact:

Madhav Karki, Ph.D.
Regional Program Coordinator
MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS PROGRAMS IN ASIA (MAPPA)
IDRC/SARO
208 Jor Bagh Rd, New Delhi, 110 003, India
Tel. (91-11) 24619411 ext. 104
Fax. (91-11) 24622707 
mappa@idrc.org.in
Medplants network - www.medplant.net

• Upcoming Events
  

• MAPPA in News
  

• Market Information
  

• MAPPA Newsletter
  

• Picture Gallery
  

• Project Briefs
  

• MAPPA Publications
  

• Resources
  

• Related Web sites