Dear Econet Please Post in rainforest General Circulation.
MERGING PHARMACEUTICAL DEVELOPMENT, CONSERVATION AND THE NEEDS OF
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN TROPICAL FORESTS
Topic 457 Conservation and Pharmaceuticals Gn: jtorrance rainforest
general original 8:14pm Aug. 21 London Rainforest Action Group
Open Letter To Any Econet Information User In Response to London
Rainforest Action Group:, Topic 457.
[EcoNet Note: Topic numbers vary from system to system.]
I would like to introduce you to Shaman Pharmaceuticals. Shaman is
a traditional pharmaceutical Company founded around the philosophy
that the science of ethnobotany in collaboration with indigenous and
local people can discover new medicines and create a model for
returning benefits to people and the environment. Shaman has set up
a conservation arm, The Healing Forest Conservacny, which is at this
time almost totally supported from donations of resources from
Shaman.
The goals of the Conservation are explained in the attached pages.
Our primary goal with this organization is to provide reciprocal
benefits to local people and create a mechanism to promote the
conservation of indigenous knowledge and tropical forest. I have
personally had the satisfaction providing health care to indigenous
people, members of CONFENAIE in January of 1991. The Healing Forest
Conservancy supported a Physician to accompany me on a research
expedition.
Regarding your opinion of DTM's activities in Ecuador, we cannot
comment without first-hand experience on these issues. As you know,
I will be in Ecuador shortly and will certainly make inquiries with
appropriate individuals.
I would like to clarify Shaman's experience with DTM. Shaman works
with local businesses for the supply of raw plant material in each
of the countries in which it works. DTM is one of the Company's
plant supply coordinators in Ecuador.
It is also the policy of Shaman to have first-hand contact with the
actual collectors in the field, as well as conducting field work and
research ourselves. Thus, Shaman and DTM have both had direct
favorable interaction and documented correspondence with Indian
Federations within CONFENAIE, including the Shuar and Waorani.
Although our experience is quite positive, we understand that there
are factions within any large political organization which have
their own agenda. As part of our continual outreach and awareness
program in supply countries, we would appreciate further information
regarding your contacts within the Indian Federations.
Shaman, in supplying the raw plant material, Sangre de Drago,
for our pharmaceutical product, is working to implementing the dream
scenario of the conservation community at this time: a non-timber,
sustainable harvested rain forest product which can provide
additional income to indigenous peoples living in these areas and
provide economic incentive not to destroy the rain forest.
To create this industry, there are cost and quantity parameters
which must be met. The greatest efficiency and benefit can be
brought to suppliers by sustainable harvest the raw plant material.
As I'm sure you understand, the tree from which Sangre de drago
comes is a pioneer species, extremely prevalent, fast-growing, and
spontaneously repopulating areas where it has been destroyed. This
makes for a realistic and enforceable harvesting requirements, which
is exactly the sustainable harvesting being done with our support in
other countries.
Although there's a lot of preaching in conservation communities, the
pharmaceutical industry has not embraced the opportunity apparent in
tropical medicinal plants and seems to be eschewing the benefits it
could provide to developing countries by so-doing. By successfully
bringing a product to market and creating a reliable and
reproducible supply industry of the raw plant material with the
support of developing countries and indigenous people as supplies,
Shaman can make this a reality and set an example for the more
traditional pharmaceutical industry, as well as set itself up to
duplicate this model. We would appreciate an exchange of
information, ideas, and contacts in reaching this goal of mutual
benefit to all involved.
I look forward to hearing from you. We also will get this message
on EcoNet to solicit the comments of others interested and involved
in these issues.
Sincerely,
Steven R. King Ph.D.
Vice President Ethnobotany and Conservation