This chapter focuses on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for communities selling medicinal plants in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The purpose is to equip the participating medicinal plant sellers with knowledge and skills related to the trade of medicinal plants. In particular, the study focuses on cultivating the participants' awareness of the importance of conducting their business based on principles of conservation, sustainable livelihoods and environmental sustainability. The study followed a case study design within a mixed methods research paradigm. Data collection involved the use of face-to-face questionnaire administration and follow-up focused group interviews. Phase 1 results revealed a number of challenges faced by the medicinal plant sellers. These included processing, storage and packaging, lack of business skills and the conservation of medicinal plants and their products. Following a capacity building intervention based on ESD and non-formal education principles, phase II results showed that the medicinal plant sellers had revised some of their business practices-such as pricing techniques and record keeping. However, processing of medicinal plant materials, storage, packaging and conservation remained a challenge that needed further attention. In particular, sustainable harvesting practices and cultivation of medicinal plants in home gardens still presented some difficulties.
Medicinal plant sellers primarily rely on trading medicinal plants at various medicinal plant markets as a source of income. Statistically, approximately 4000 tons of medicinal plant material is estimated to be used for medicinal plant purposes yearly. At the same time, the country is having to lose important medicinal plant species such as Warburgia salutaris. Notably, rising rates of unemployment have, additionally, facilitated the harvesting of medicinal plants for selling purposes as an alternative source of livelihood across many communities. The researcher had to intervene with capacity building om sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants. This chapter presents the challenges of propagating medicinal plants and compares indigenous and scientific ways of propagating selected medicinal plant species.
This article reports on the results of a non-formal education intervention program that involved medicinal plant sellers in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study was done in two phases. It identified and explored the prevalent challenges of the medicinal plant-selling businesses. A selected number of medicinal plant sellers were exposed to a capacity-building instructional intervention strategy aimed at addressing the skills and knowledge gaps identified. The principles of education for sustainable development (ESD) were followed as part of the study's theoretical foundation. Data were collected through semi-structured and focus group interviews. The results reveal that the medicinal plant sellers face a number of challenges such as lack of business acumen, and knowledge about processing methods techniques and packaging. They have, for example, poor marketing and pricing skills, low banking esteem and poor record keeping, particularly of stock. This indicates their slow implementation and application of the information and skills as discussed in previous workshops. Positively, there is evidence that some of the medicinal plant sellers had begun revisiting their business practices based on previous discussions. Overall, the processing of medicinal plant materials and packaging needs urgent attention.
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