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Abstract
Through the MGU – Useful Plants Project (2007–2015) led by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, high-quality seed collections and research information have been gathered on useful indigenous plants selected by communities in Botswana, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, and Mexico. Local communities were trained in seed conservation, plant propagation, and planting activities, while revenue generation was promoted directly through the sustainable use of plants and plant products and indirectly through wider environmental and cultural services. The success of this project was determined by its participative approach, involving local communities in plant conservation activities and using plant research to support it. However, the promotion of sustainable use and income generation highlighted issues that confirmed the importance of using a ‘holistic approach’ to address the objective of poverty reduction and contribute to improved livelihoods in the communities.
Acknowledgements
The MGU – Useful Plants Project has been funded by MGU, a kind and generous philanthropist based in Spain. Matching funds have been provided by several sources including the Wiet Pot Family Foundation to enhance project activities in country. This work has been possible thanks to our dedicated collaborators and communities in Botswana, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, and South Africa, who are very gratefully acknowledged. Several Kew's colleagues, students, and volunteers have provided valuable technical and scientific support. We thank Denis Filer from the Department of Plant Sciences of the University of Oxford for the development of the use unit in Brahms (v. 7) and two anonymous reviewers who helped to greatly improve the paper.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.