Updates from the SULi Plant Use Group (PUG)
By Sonia Dhanda and Alex Hudson
We’ve got some fresh updates from the latest SULi PUG meeting on October 15th. It’s all about plant conservation, sustainable use, and what’s happening next.
First up, some exciting news about a grant we received. PUG has been awarded an IUCN SULi thematic grant to boost the Species Use Database with more plant data. The project aims to transfer data from Kew’s World Checklist of Useful Plants, which includes ~40,000 plant species. The project will commence towards the end of the year.
In July, the CITES Plants Committee met in Geneva, and there were some important updates shared. A key highlight was the revelation that 1,593 CITES-listed plants are known to have medicinal uses. Various species- country combinations were identified for the Review of Significant Trade Process and require action to ensure sustainable trade of the species concerned. Additionally, Chile put forward a draft proposal to consider the inclusion of Jubaea chilensis in Appendix I, commonly known as Chilean palm, with a decision expected at the next COP meeting.
The crucial gathering of CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia, also just concluded. There was a focus on assessing the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly in terms of how progress will be monitored and how governments can secure financial resources for these initiatives. A new decision on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Digital Sequencing Information was adopted, which includes establishing a Cali Fund, made up a proportion of users’ (e.g. companies) profits or revenues, with at least half earmarked for the needs of Indigenous peoples. Various PUG members were also at COP and hosting side events from Plantlife, BGCI, SULi and Kew.
Speaking of events, there’s been a lot of buzz lately around the intersection of sustainability and finance. Recent conferences like “How does ecological risk relate to commercial risk” at the Royal Society and “Sourcing with Respect” hosted by the Union for Ethical Biotrade have been highlighting the business implications of new EU regulations around sustainable sourcing and reporting. The discussions covered a wide range of issues, from the risks posed by climate change, market fluctuations, and ecosystem degradation. Regenerative agriculture also emerged as a hot topic, with many seeing it as a promising way to balance nature and business interests.
Meanwhile, our members have been busy with some ongoing projects. TRAFFIC’s ‘scaling up Himalayan conservation of plants and fungi in trade’, which focuses on conservation in a high-altitude, complex environment, is a key initiative. BGCI is concentrating on improving pest and disease management from seed collection through propagation, and they also launched a technical report on. FairWild and SULi are working together on a project that explores how sustainable use of wild plants and fungi can be integrated into restoration efforts, aiming to create guidance that can help support landscape restoration strategies worldwide.
For those looking to dive deeper into the latest research and discussions, there are some great resources out there right now. BGCI recently released a technical review on the importance of botanic gardens in tackling the illegal plant trade. United Plant Savers Journal is available for free, packed with insights on medicinal plant conservation. And a recent special issue of Conservation Biology on beyond charismatic megafauna in illegal wildlife trade. It’s open access and has new trade insights into taxa less well represented in wildlife trade.
There’s a lot happening in the world of plant conservation, and many ways for you to get involved. If you are interested in plant conservation, consider joining the IUCN SULi Plant Use Group.