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Plants have always been a vital part of human civilization. In fact, survival of human race is directly dependent on plant kingdom. Not just the only abundant suppliers of oxygen, plants are also the source for fulfillment of numerous other basic needs of humans. Plants and their products have been a major source of food, herbs, fuel, wood for construction, medicines, cosmetics etc. Apart from this, plants have also played an important role in religious and cultural activities in variety of ways. Plants also provide livelihood to millions across the world. Nearly half of the world population is dependent on agricultural activities for fulfilling their major subsistence requirements. According to a survey conducted by FAO, approximately 25-26 percent of world’s population relies on forests for their livelihood. A large part of this population is involved in harvesting of medicinal plants. Medicinal plants not only cater to the need of traditional medicines but also serve as trade product for markets across the world; thus, acting as a source of income for the locals. Medicinal plants and their products are in heavy demand all over the world. According to many international agencies, the global market of medicinal plants was around US$ 186 billion in 2020. It is expected to climb to US$ 550 billion by 2030 and might touch US$ 5 trillion by 2050. The figures represent very high growth volumes when compared with 2014 figures of US$ 63billion. The Indian scenario is quite similar to the global one. The medicinal plants market in India was about US$ 56 million in 2019. It is forecasted to reach US$ 188 million by 2026 with expected CAGR of over 38%. Various factors have contributed to the rise in demand of these plants. Awareness of the benefits of medicinal plants is the prime factor of increase in demand. People who are conscious about their health have shifted to natural methods of healing. Ease of availability, ease of use, effectiveness, less or no side effects, suitability, low cost compared to allopathic medicines are other reasons for growth in demand. With the advancements in technology in last few decades, there has been a sharp rise in the methods of development and use of medicinal plants.

Balick pointed If only a part of the plant is used in proper cycle instead of using the whole plant, the collection process can be made sustainable (Balick, 1992).
Many methods have been developed but very few have been able to produce required results. Destructive harvesting of plants with slow growth might destroy policy specie. A study showed that the pharmacological value of leaves and stem of ginseng is same as that of its roots. Hence, collection of leaves is a more sustainable approach (Chen et al., 2016)
Cultivation of medicinal plants can prove to be an effective poverty reduction tool. Removal of various obstacles in taking up of cultivation by small farmers can be very helpful. Apart from income generation practice, this will decrease the pressure on ecosystem and will enhance the biological diversity (Nwafor, 2020).
Development of new technologies and their refinement has opened new doors of analysis of medicinal plants. These techniques not only help to produce better products but also provide methods for better seed development suited for cultivation (Fitzgerald, 2020).
The policy framework can be based on conservation strategy or it can be a poverty reduction scheme. Both cases require identification of constraints and bottlenecks. Removal of these can by means of government policies can help to raise economic condition of farmers and achieve conservation of biodiversity (Nwafor, 2021).
It was reported that the increase in harvesting in Brazil to make up for high demand has resulted in the degradation of forests. Many plants which have no pharmaceutical substitute are already less available. Degradation of Amazon forests can result in irreparable losses (Patricia, 2003).

Over Exploitation of Medicinal Plants
The factors mentioned above require heavy harvesting of medicinal plants from all sources available. This opportunity has also infused large population in harvesting of these plants as it provides a source of income for them. Heavy harvesting of medicinal plants has resulted in over exploitation of this natural resource and hence threatening the plants and their habitat. Many plant species have come on the verge of extinction and a lot many are under high pressure. More than 15000 species across the world face the threat of extinction. Overharvesting has not only led to the depletion of specie but has also resulted in a change in its quality. Destructive harvesting of many herbs has led to habitat destruction which is a very serious concern. Destructive harvesting and over harvesting have created the problems of loss of biodiversity as well as ecosystem degradation.
The problems associated with the over exploitation of medicinal plants are of serious concern with regards to indigenous people. The mentioned reasons are a threat to the availability of medicinal plants with livelihood potential. These have negative impact on the lives of people dependent on plant resources. The natives have relied on these plants for fulfillment of their health and other needs for centuries. The entry of large number of commercial players in this sector owing to strong worldwide demand and high profits has deepened the problem for the natives. The livelihood resource to which they had easy access and was affordable is now less available.
This scenario requires urgent action. Because of the importance attached to the value of medicinal plants, the current situation has attracted the attention of researchers, institutes, organizations, conservationists and governments to find solution to this problem. Two of the many solutions worked upon are cultivation and sustainable harvesting.
Sustainable Harvesting of Medicinal Plants
Sustainability has been a keyword in facing problems concerned with natural health of the planet. It aims at finding solutions that can maintain and develop natural systems so that they last long in their original form. It stresses on designing farsighted and comprehensive plans and policies using integrated approaches. The approach is considered important because the welfare of both sides or components i.e., humans and nature, comprising the ecosystem is at prime focus. It has been stated that the system improves only when the conditions of both improves. This improvement is an indicator of sustainable society. In sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants, the collection is done without creating any negative effect on the ecosystem. This also ensures that the activity may be carried out for a long period. Thus, the resource remains conserved and the health and economic needs are also fulfilled.
The practice of sustainable harvest requires a lot of knowledge and information regarding the medicinal plants. Although lot of work has been done in this field by researchers, institutes and governments, far more needs to be done. Another problem is that the work of different agencies is not streamlined resulting in the flaws in the policy thus framed.
It is very important to have knowledge of the medicinal plant species available in the given region. The rate of growth or the replenishment period of all the available species should be known to the collectors. Information of population density of species and their geographic range is vital in making selection. The information on use of plant species must be gathered and made available. More work is required to find connections between disturbance factors and plant diversity. The species should be categorized as abundant or threatened based on availability. The species which are harvested for local use and those for international trade should be listed. International trade of medicinal plants involves commercial traders. The collected plants may be traded to the local market or they might cater to the national or international market, providing income to rural communities as well as traders. Therefore, it is important that the protocols for harvesting are designed keeping in view these communities and the commercial partner. A lot of research work has been done and going on in formulating sustainable methods in this field. Many researchers have suggested that sustainable methods can only be developed when there is two-way exchange of information. The knowledge of local people should be taken into account along with the advance techniques. This will enhance the decision-making capability of all involved.
Cultivation of Medicinal Plants
Keeping in view the problems associated with over exploitation of medicinal plants, many researchers and institutions have suggested for the development of cultivation practices for the same. Cultivating such plants will not only reduce the pressure on the ecosystem, it will also make sure that the demand is met with regular supply of medicinal plants. A good source of income for the cultivators will also be created.
Still, the cultivation of medicinal plants is not done on large scale. There are many factors hindering the same. Shifting from collection of plants to cultivating them requires knowledge on different fronts which in turn requires data. Sufficient data is not available to take proper decisions regarding cultivation.
Selection of medicinal plants for cultivation becomes a hard decision to take in absence of correct information. Some plants can be easily cultivated but there are others which require conditions that cannot be replicated in the farm. Many medicinal plants takes long time to yield. According to some researchers, plants with high demand in the local and international market should be given priority. Also, plants which have already reached the threat level should be taken for cultivation. This will prevent further depletion and extinction and will maintain the ecosystem. To make this selection, it is necessary to categorize the medicinal plants accordingly. Efforts have been done for this categorization. But owing to the vast diversity of medicinal plants, more work needs to be done.
Cultivation of medicinal plants is still not a very popular practice. This is due to the fact that the farmers are not fully aware of the cultivating methods. They are also not aware of which plant to cultivate. There are many plants which can be cultivated but very few are cultivated due to the lack of knowledge of well-designed methods. Availability of planting material is also a matter of a concern. Farmers do not leave traditional farming and move to medicinal plants due to high uncertainty. Therefore, very few farmers adapt to these new methods. Development of cultivation methods and a training program for farmers can help promote cultivation of these plants. To achieve this, research institutes and the government will have to make more projects involving method development and training of farmers. Farmers equipped with researched agronomic knowledge and methods to fight plant diseases can make the scheme successful. The trained farmers should be supplied with planting material for immediate start of the process. Establishing centers to provide planting material for cultivation of medicinal plants might help.
Right processing of the crop adds value to it. Hence, it is necessary to establish processing centers and educate farmers about it. For the cultivation program to succeed, it is necessary that the yield, after processing, gets to the right market fetching right price. Profitability can be a major driver in motivating farmers to take up cultivation of medicinal plants. If the farmers get good return on their yield, more people would get involved in it. Therefore, governments should develop the market and the policies must be framed so that the scheme turns out to be beneficial for all. Policy formation should be done keeping in view the demand of the species. Species with national and international demand should be treated accordingly. It has come into observation that many farmers, who initiated cultivation of medicinal plants, quit the program because of lack of proper returns and weak policies. This again emphasizes the importance of right policies.
Although, cultivating medicinal plants provide regular supply of good quality product, many have questioned the quality and potency of the cultivated plant. Medicinal plants produce compounds with pharmacological properties via secondary metabolism. The environment required for the whole process cannot be replicated in the farm, thus affecting the quality and potency of the product. This raises the need of domestication of the species selected. Domestication of a species could be a long-term process. For domestication, right method of cultivation of crop needs to be developed and taught to the concerned famers. It has been reported that some practitioners have domesticated the species of their use in course of time by cultivating them in their gardens. Developing seeds of medicinal plants with the aim of domestication requires use of technological advancements in seed science, tissue culture and biotechnology. Streamlined efforts of all stakeholders viz. government, traders, institutions, scientists and the community can help achieve the goal in short time. The plants can thus be modified to give higher yield as compared to those harvested from the forest.
While promoting cultivation of medicinal plants, conservation effects are also to be kept in consideration. Due to comparatively few numbers of studies undertaken for this, the exactness of effects cannot be stated with accuracy. The research done suggests that cultivation can result in the loss of biodiversity. Also, the methods adopted for the same might create a threat to the natural habitat of other species. For a project undertaken in China to promote cultivation, forest was cleared to grow a species. This resulted in the loss of habitat for the wildlife of that region. To overcome such negative effects of conservation, prior information about them is required. Therefore, it becomes necessary that agencies and institutions take up more studies regarding conservational effects. 

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