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Why Plants?

The reason for a strategy for plants under the CBD is that setting meaningful targets is feasible since scientific understanding of at least higher plants, though incomplete, is better than for most other groups. At present we do not have a complete inventory of the plants of the world, but it is estimated that the total number may be in the order of 300,000 species. Of particular concern is the fact that many are in danger of extinction. The disappearance of such vital and large amounts of biodiversity sets one of the greatest challenges for the world community: to halt the destruction of the plant diversity that is so essential to meet the present and future needs of humankind. As stated by the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity*,

“Plants are a vital part of the world’s biological diversity and an essential resource for human wellbeing. Besides the crop plants that provide our basic food and fibres, many thousands of wild plants have great economic and cultural importance and potential, providing food, medicine, fuel, clothing and shelter for vast numbers of people throughout the world. Traditional Chinese medicine alone uses over 5,000 plant species and traditional medicines in India are based on 7,000 different species. Plants also play a key role in maintaining the planet’s basic environmental balance and ecosystem stability and provide an important component of the habitats for the world’s animal life.

Yet, despite our reliance on plants, crisis point has been reached. Although much work remains to be carried out to evaluate the status of the world’s plants, it is clear that between 60,000 to 100,000 plant species are threatened worldwide.

Plants are endangered by a combination of factors: over-collecting; unsustainable agriculture and forestry practices; urbanisation; pollution; land use changes; the spread of invasive alien species and climate change.”

*Hamdallah Zedan, Foreword, Global Strategy for Plant Conservation brochure, SCBD, Montreal Canada.