Wildcrafting and Wild Harvest: Ethics, Law and Conservation

What wildcrafting is

Wildcrafting, or wild harvesting, means gathering plants from the places where they grow on their own, such as forests, meadows and hillsides, rather than from a farm or garden. People do it for food, craft and traditional medicine. It is also a large part of the herb trade: the FairWild Foundation says 60 to 90 percent of the medicinal and aromatic plants in trade are wild collected. [1]

This page is about the ethics, law and conservation questions behind wild harvest. It is not a guide to finding or picking plants, and it does not tell you what is safe to gather.

Why wild harvest needs care

The World Health Organization notes that collecting medicinal plants from wild populations can raise concerns about over-harvesting, protection of endangered species, the environment, the welfare of local communities and respect for intellectual property rights in source materials. [2]

Demand is part of the story. A review of American ginseng describes harvest for the Asian traditional medicine market that made it North America's most harvested wild plant for two centuries, eventually leading to a listing on CITES Appendix II. [3] See endangered medicinal plants and at-risk herbs for more examples.

The law comes first

Wild plants are not a free-for-all. Rules differ by country, state and type of land, and some are strict.

• Permission. The WHO guidelines say that in some countries collection permits and other documents from government authorities and landowners must be obtained before collecting any plants from the wild. [2]
• National parks (United States). Shenandoah National Park explains that plants in the park are protected by law and may not be disturbed or collected, including roots, leaves and seeds, with only narrow exceptions such as small amounts of fruit. [4]
• Tribal gathering. The National Park Service changed its rule so that members of federally recognized tribes can gather plants or plant parts for traditional purposes under agreements with a park. The rule keeps the ban on commercial use of what is gathered. [5]
• Other public and private land. Rules for national forests, state land and private property vary and change. Ask the land manager or owner before you collect anything, and check local rules for protected species.
• Trade. WHO also points out that export permits and CITES permits must be obtained when required. [2]

Principles used by conservation guidelines

These are general principles, not instructions for any one plant.

• Keep populations going. WHO guidance says collection should ensure the long-term survival of wild populations and their habitats. [2]
• Leave rare plants alone. The same guidance says species that are rare or scarce should not be collected. [2]
• Use cultivated plants when you can. United Plant Savers, a North American conservation group, recommends that plants on its At-Risk list be used in cultivated forms whenever possible. [6] It describes its aim as increasing the abundance of medicinal plants, and says it is not asking for a ban on using these herbs. [6]
• Know the rules for each species. Management plans should be set for each species and plant part, according to the WHO guidelines. [2]

Identification and safety

Wild plants can look alike. WHO warns that wild-collected material may be contaminated by other species or plant parts through misidentification, accidental contamination or deliberate adulteration, with unsafe results. [2] This is one reason this site does not teach plant identification. If a plant or mushroom has been swallowed by mistake, see plant and mushroom poisoning and poisoning: what to do first. In the United States, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222.

Cultural respect

Many plants matter to particular peoples for food, medicine and ceremony. Some uses are sacred or restricted, and this site does not describe them. Respecting that starts with asking whose knowledge and land are involved. United Plant Savers lists white sage among its At-Risk plants. [6] For the cultural side, see smudging and white sage, Indigenous knowledge: what is public and what is restricted and cultural appropriation and traditional healing products.

If you buy rather than gather

Most people meet wild plants as products. Ask where the herb was grown or collected, whether it is cultivated, and whether an independent standard covers it. The FairWild standard is one example. A label that says "wildcrafted" or "ethically harvested" is only a company's own wording unless a named, independent program backs it. For product safety, read product quality and contamination.

What this page does not claim

A plant being wild-harvested does not make it stronger or safer, and cultivated plants are not weaker. No source read for this page compares the two for health effects. Wild harvest is mainly a conservation, legal and community question.