From garden to market? The cultivation of native and introduced medicinal plant species in Cajamarca, Peru and implications for habitat conservation

Abstract

Large amounts of medicinal plants are sold in the markets of Trujillo and Chiclayo, two cities on the north coast of Peru. However, a large percentage of this material comes from the Peruvian highlands, most notably from the Department of Cajamarca. Although prior studies indicate that at least some material, mostly introduced species, is grown in home-gardens on the coast, the origin of the vast bulk of the plants was unclear. The present study reports on medicinal plants grown, collected and sold in the Cajamarca region. Only 42 plant species, 34 of them indigenous, were sold in the local markets. In contrast, 76 species (25 introduced, 51 indigenous) were found in local gardens or were cultivated by vendors. Of these however, only five species were commonly cultivated in the home-gardens studied, and 11 were grown by plant vendors. All but three of the commonly cultivated species were introductions. Contrary to the initial assumption, increasing plant demand in the large coastal markets has not led to significant cultivation of medicinal plants in home-gardens. The vast bulk of the plant material sold in the markets of Northern Peru represents plants collected in the wild. No data are available as to whether this massive harvest is sustainable or not.