Medicinal Aromatic Plant cultivation for conservation of biodiversity and poverty alleviation in South Africa.

 In response to the combined impacts of dwindling supplies as a result ofoverexploitation of natural resources and increasing demands of growing populations and global markets, MAPs are increasingly being introduced into farming systems. Such cultivation often takes place in multiple cropping systems including agroforestry systems. For instance, MAPs may be planted in the lower strata of multistrata systems such as home gardens.Medicinal Aromatic Plants (locally called muthi in Zulu language and amayeza in Xhosa language) are still widely used in the health-care system of South Africa, particularly by the African population. According to Mander and Le Breton there are up to 100 million traditional-remedy consumers in southern Africa and as many as 500 000 traditional healers. Up to 700 000 tonnes of plant material is consumed annually with an estimated value of as much as US$150 million per annum. Stimulated by high population growth rates, rapid urbanization and the important cultural value placed on traditional medicines this trade is now greater than at any time in the past. The use and trade of plants for medicine is no longer confined to traditional healers, but has entered both the informal and formal entrepreneurial sectors of the South African economy, resulting in an increase in the number of herbal gatherers and traders. The intensive harvesting of wild MAPs as a result of the increasing use has in many places resulted in overexploitation, and forms a serious threat to biodiversity in the region.