Medicinal Plant Biodiversity in India: Harnessing Opportunities …
151
medicinal plan species and agro-based technology for more than 20 species of rare
and endangered (Das 2010).
To tap the enormous employment potential of medicinal and aromatic plants in
India following recommendations were made by Planning Commission (Planning
Commission 2002; Kapila and Kapila 2002):
1. To promote intensive management of medicinal plants, MPDA/Vanaspati Van
over an area of 1 million ha was envisaged. Under ‘food for work’ scheme 10
lakh people were expected to get productive employment.
2. As per the Task force on Medicinal Plants, nearly one million could be expected
to employed besides 1 lakh were expected to be employed in 10,000 pharmacies,
health tourism and in the manufacture of various products. In addition, by the
end the 11th FYP, 0.5 million were expected to be employed in Medicinal Plant
sector.
3. On recommendation of Task force Report by Planning Commission Report
(2000), National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) has into existence. Concerted
efforts are made to generate 1.1 million jobs annually.
Various studies have recommended models and approaches such as (i) Community based approach/Stakeholders approach (ii) Individual/Farmer based and (iii)
Participation approach for linking medical plants and food security. Integration of
medicinal plants therefore, into various forms of commercial agriculture cropping
systems that could assist in generating employment opportunities and income has
been significantly overlooked. Further, the significance of indigenous medicinal plant
cultivation for survival especially among rural communities and tribes has not been
addressed. Therefore, the correlation between cultivation of medicinal plants for
improved food security especially in India cannot be overruled.
151
medicinal plan species and agro-based technology for more than 20 species of rare
and endangered (Das 2010).
To tap the enormous employment potential of medicinal and aromatic plants in
India following recommendations were made by Planning Commission (Planning
Commission 2002; Kapila and Kapila 2002):
1. To promote intensive management of medicinal plants, MPDA/Vanaspati Van
over an area of 1 million ha was envisaged. Under ‘food for work’ scheme 10
lakh people were expected to get productive employment.
2. As per the Task force on Medicinal Plants, nearly one million could be expected
to employed besides 1 lakh were expected to be employed in 10,000 pharmacies,
health tourism and in the manufacture of various products. In addition, by the
end the 11th FYP, 0.5 million were expected to be employed in Medicinal Plant
sector.
3. On recommendation of Task force Report by Planning Commission Report
(2000), National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) has into existence. Concerted
efforts are made to generate 1.1 million jobs annually.
Various studies have recommended models and approaches such as (i) Community based approach/Stakeholders approach (ii) Individual/Farmer based and (iii)
Participation approach for linking medical plants and food security. Integration of
medicinal plants therefore, into various forms of commercial agriculture cropping
systems that could assist in generating employment opportunities and income has
been significantly overlooked. Further, the significance of indigenous medicinal plant
cultivation for survival especially among rural communities and tribes has not been
addressed. Therefore, the correlation between cultivation of medicinal plants for
improved food security especially in India cannot be overruled.