70 Achieving a fair and sustainable trade in devil’s claw (Harpagophytum spp.)management also present major hurdles. At the international level, monopoly
control severely compromises the ability of local producers and range states to
receive optimum benefits and prevents range states from adding full value to
their resources. Cultivation efforts represent a further threat to ensuring a
reliable stream of benefits for harvesting communities.
Despite these constraints, constructive interventions are both possible and
probable as support is growing from both decision-makers and industry for a
sustainable trade in the species. Certainly they point towards devil’s claw being
one example that can attempt to marry the sometimes conflicting objectives
of conservation and development.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This paper draws from a series of rich discussions held with role players in the
devil’s claw trade and forms part of doctoral research being undertaken on
the commercialisation of southern African biodiversity. All those who have
participated in this research are gratefully acknowledged for giving so
generously of their time and information. Particular thanks are due to Dave
Cole (CRIAA-SA DC), Marianne Strobach and Mike Krafft for assisting with
information for the database. Scholarships awarded for this study by the
National Research Foundation, Annell Trust and Smartt Memorial Trust are
thankfully acknowledged. The National Botanical Institute is thanked for
permission to use data from the National Herbarium, Pretoria Computerised
Information System (PRECIS). Tony Cunningham and Terry Sunderland provided
useful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.ENDNOTES- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, University of Strathclyde.
P.O. Box 83 Kalk Bay 7990, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected]
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