Wild plants offer a wealth of services and goods of essential livelihood value. Worldwide, over half a billion people who live in poverty depend on the availability of wild plant resources to sustain their daily subsistence needs. While the opportunities provided by wild plants and their products to alleviate poverty through income generation are tremendous, so are the many obstacles that challenge this potential.

BGCI, with funding provided by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), undertook a pilot study in 2011 on how wild plants can be used to support rural livelihoods.

The study aimed to identify successful models and draw lessons from sustainable management and commercialisation of wild flora and its products (excluding timber). Focusing on case studies from Brazil, China, India and Mexico, this project was designed to assist policy-makers and conservation practitioners to enhance the integration of poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation based on recent practical experiences.