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Ghana's herbal market
Tinde van Andel1, Britt Myren, Sabine van Onselen
1Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis (sect. National Herbarium of the Netherlands), P.O. Box 9514, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. andel@nhn.leidenuniv.nl
Journal of Ethnopharmacology
|February 7, 2012
Summary
Ghana
Area of Science:
- Ethnobotany
- Pharmacology
- Ecology
Background:
- Medicinal plant markets offer insights into local flora and health concerns.
- Traditional medicine plays a significant role in Ghanaian society.
- This study quantifies the herbal medicine market in Ghana.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe and quantify the Ghanaian herbal medicine market.
- To assess the diversity of traded medicinal plant species.
- To evaluate the economic value of the herbal medicine trade.
Main Methods:
- Conducted initial visual surveys of medicinal plant markets.
- Performed a detailed quantitative survey of 27 stalls in August 2010.
- Processed market samples into herbarium vouchers for identification.
Main Results:
- Encountered 244 medicinal plant products (186-209 species).
- High demand for seeds/fruits (e.g., Xylopia aethiopica) and barks (e.g., Khaya senegalensis).
- Estimated 951 tons of herbal medicine sold in 2010, valued at US$7.8 million.
Conclusions:
- The Ghanaian herbal medicine trade holds substantial economic importance.
- Medicinal plants appear to supplement or substitute Western medicine.
- Further research is needed on the ecological impact of plant extraction.
