The Sizamimphilo Bark Harvesters Association leads the way for sustainable
living and conservation of biodiversity
There has been considerable growth in the medicinal plant industry in South
Africa over the past few years. Large urban markets (e.g. Durban and
Johannesburg) have developed for trade in traditionally used medicinal plants
and products. This shift from subsistence use to commercial trade of medicinal
plants has led to an increased intensity and frequency of medicinal plant
harvesting from wild habitats. Cultivation of medicinal plants is minimal in
South Africa. Consequently, certain popularly traded species have become
over-exploited and are now rare or extinct in the wild (e.g. Siphonochilus
aethiopicus, Warburgia salutaris). This has resulted in the forced use of
alternative species and a geographical shift in the harvesting pressure to
previously unexploited areas.
The bark of many different forest and woodland tree species are used,
although a relatively small number are in high demand and intensively used.
Intense and frequent harvesting of bark from species with a high market demand
often results in ring-barking of trees. The trees subsequently die, and the
species become rarer over time. This practice is obviously unsustainable and
will almost certainly result in the extinction of many forest and woodland tree
species. As a result, many of these have become protected under the laws
governing the harvesting of medicinal and other plant material in KwaZulu-Natal.
These are contained in Chapter 8 of the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Act
[No. 9 of 1997].
In order to address the growing need for natural forest areas to provide
socio-economic benefits to surrounding communities, new national legislation
(National Forest Act No. 84 of 1998) has directed the management of these areas
towards a participatory approach. The "Commercial Products from the Wild
Project " set the basis for a participatory forest management system in the
uMzimkulu District by establishing a bark harvesters association (Sizamimphilo).
This association is a legal entity that can interact with the state forestry
department responsible for management of the forests in the area. Several
institutional options were considered before an Association was selected as the
appropriate legal vehicle. The administrative requirements of Trusts and
Co-operatives were found to be too onerous for the harvesters, most of whom only
have basic literacy and educational backgrounds.
A core group of bark harvesters from the uMzimkulu District selling their
products at the Durban Herb Market were approached at the market end to help to
solve the problem of uncontrolled bark harvesting. The harvesters were largely
willing to participate in discussions around a solution. This was because the
harvesters, mostly women living in the uMzimkulu District, depend almost
entirely on bark harvesting and trade to sustain their livelihoods. The
harvesters were aware that their operations were illegal, and many had spent
nights in prison for illegal harvesting, or had had harvested material
confiscated. Given that the harvesters did not have access to other economic
opportunities, they continued to struggle against this conflicting and risky
system of earning a living. They were therefore open to any solution that would
resolve this conflict and allow them to earn a living legally. The primary
challenge faced by the core group of harvesters from the uMzimkulu District was
to recruit a critical mass of harvesters from the area to join in discussions,
because an exercise in participatory sustainable resource utilization required
that the majority of harvesters, traders and suppliers from the target district
be involved in a joint natural resource management system.
In all meetings, state resource managers (Department of Water Affairs and
Forestry - DWAF) were present to provide for open discussions on mutual
problems, to shorten administrative procedures and to empower both groups to
come to a common understanding of the problems involved. A first joint meeting
was held at the Durban Herb Market to clarify the intentions and objectives. A
second meeting was held at the Nzimankulu forest to identify and discuss the
problems in the forest, to discuss alternatives and better harvesting
techniques, and to assist the harvesters to form an association through which an
agreement could be negotiated with DWAF. Additional follow-up meetings were
held, both at the market and in the forest, to maintain regular communication.
With the assistance of an external facilitator, a medicinal plant harvesters
association, the Sizamimphilo Association, was eventually formalized and a
constitution developed. The members of Sizamimphilo participated directly in
drafting the constitution. The key components of the constitution, in terms of
sustainable resource management, were i) to train, uplift, educate and develop
its members with the objective of increasing their business skills and profits
and to enhance their harvesting skills with the express purpose of protecting
the environment and the long-term sustainability of targeted species of
medicinal plants; and ii) that all members sign an agreement between themselves
and the Association that binds them to a set of standards, rules, objectives or
laws. The Association agreed on the following rules for sustainable resource
use:
Sustainable resource harvesting practices to be implemented in the forests
should contribute to the recovery and conservation of the forests.
Bark harvesters should be able to continue with harvesting the bark
resources with improved operating conditions, reduced effort and costs,
minimized resource harvesting impacts, and better opportunities for the
development of viable, productive small business.
Rules for controlling resource harvesting must be simple, practical, and
easy to manage, and cause minimal interference with effective harvesting.
A constructive, collaborative relationship between DWAF (resource
managers) and the Association (legal commercial bark harvesters) should
facilitate: i) effective and sustainable bark harvesting; and ii) the
elimination of undesirable, destructive, and illegal commercial bark
harvesting from the forests.
On 30 May 2002 DWAF issued the General Licence under sections 7, 15 & 23
of National Forests Act [No. 84 of 1998] to the Sizamimphilo Association, for
harvesting of bark under guidance of the management plan for natural forests in
the uMzimkulu District. The management plan provides guidelines for resource
harvesting, planting for alternative resources, and monitoring of resource use
impacts, and stipulates the arrangements between DWAF and the Association.
Interestingly, harvesters from other districts have now joined the Association,
and an allied Association has been established in Pietermaritzburg.
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There has been considerable growth in the medicinal plant industry in South
Africa over the past few years. Large urban markets (e.g. Durban and
Johannesburg) have developed for trade in traditionally used medicinal plants
and products. This shift from subsistence use to commercial trade of medicinal
plants has led to an increased intensity and frequency of medicinal plant
harvesting from wild habitats. Cultivation of medicinal plants is minimal in
South Africa. Consequently, certain popularly traded species have become
over-exploited and are now rare or extinct in the wild (e.g. Siphonochilus
aethiopicus, Warburgia salutaris). This has resulted in the forced use of
alternative species and a geographical shift in the harvesting pressure to
previously unexploited areas.
The bark of many different forest and woodland tree species are used,
although a relatively small number are in high demand and intensively used.
Intense and frequent harvesting of bark from species with a high market demand
often results in ring-barking of trees. The trees subsequently die, and the
species become rarer over time. This practice is obviously unsustainable and
will almost certainly result in the extinction of many forest and woodland tree
species. As a result, many of these have become protected under the laws
governing the harvesting of medicinal and other plant material in KwaZulu-Natal.
These are contained in Chapter 8 of the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Act
[No. 9 of 1997].
In order to address the growing need for natural forest areas to provide
socio-economic benefits to surrounding communities, new national legislation
(National Forest Act No. 84 of 1998) has directed the management of these areas
towards a participatory approach. The "Commercial Products from the Wild
Project " set the basis for a participatory forest management system in the
uMzimkulu District by establishing a bark harvesters association (Sizamimphilo).
This association is a legal entity that can interact with the state forestry
department responsible for management of the forests in the area. Several
institutional options were considered before an Association was selected as the
appropriate legal vehicle. The administrative requirements of Trusts and
Co-operatives were found to be too onerous for the harvesters, most of whom only
have basic literacy and educational backgrounds.
A core group of bark harvesters from the uMzimkulu District selling their
products at the Durban Herb Market were approached at the market end to help to
solve the problem of uncontrolled bark harvesting. The harvesters were largely
willing to participate in discussions around a solution. This was because the
harvesters, mostly women living in the uMzimkulu District, depend almost
entirely on bark harvesting and trade to sustain their livelihoods. The
harvesters were aware that their operations were illegal, and many had spent
nights in prison for illegal harvesting, or had had harvested material
confiscated. Given that the harvesters did not have access to other economic
opportunities, they continued to struggle against this conflicting and risky
system of earning a living. They were therefore open to any solution that would
resolve this conflict and allow them to earn a living legally. The primary
challenge faced by the core group of harvesters from the uMzimkulu District was
to recruit a critical mass of harvesters from the area to join in discussions,
because an exercise in participatory sustainable resource utilization required
that the majority of harvesters, traders and suppliers from the target district
be involved in a joint natural resource management system.
With the assistance of an external facilitator, a medicinal plant harvesters
association, the Sizamimphilo Association, was eventually formalized and a
constitution developed. The members of Sizamimphilo participated directly in
drafting the constitution. The key components of the constitution, in terms of
sustainable resource management, were i) to train, uplift, educate and develop
its members with the objective of increasing their business skills and profits
and to enhance their harvesting skills with the express purpose of protecting
the environment and the long-term sustainability of targeted species of
medicinal plants; and ii) that all members sign an agreement between themselves
and the Association that binds them to a set of standards, rules, objectives or
laws. The Association agreed on the following rules for sustainable resource
use: