Appetite For Destructon - Aphrodisiacs and the Environment
Fuelled by the crazed hunger for variety, the exotic, stimulation, new or enhanced experiences, and the "magic pill"...
There are several instances in which aphrodisiac legends surrounding a plant or animal have led to its becoming endangered. It stands to reason: A plant, or animal part, for which aphrodisiac qualities have been claimed, can often fetch a high price. The commodity often finds itself of higher demand and value than other products from the same region. So, especially if the region is poor and people need to make money in whatever way they can, the aphrodisiac can find itself in serious trouble.
Classic examples in this category include Sandalwood, Rhino Horn, Tiger, Tongkat Ali.
Once wild stocks draw close to being exhausted, it often becomes highly profitable to farm the commodity intensively. However, intensive farming itself encroaches further on wild regions, stripping away their natural biodiversity.
Even "awareness" may not always be the best course - for some things, such as rare plants, might be better off if people are not aware of them. However, this approach to conservation would seem to delay destruction, but not to prevent it. The word usually gets out, sooner or later.
Probably the most important thing we can do is do everything we can to save the rainforests - as they are our greatest reserve of undiscovered treasures, and learn to manage existing resources sustainably - working with nature rather than in spite of it.
The cash crop from the poor region
A common scenario which has recurred throughout history is that a sudden craze for a new exotic - whether it is an aphrodisiac, spice, narcotic, fabric or other stimulating substance, sets off a complex chain of events that is sometimes destructive to the lives and environments in its path. Whether it is Goji Berries, Sandalwood, Tongkat ali, Chocolate, - many of these things have led to poaching, greed, environmental destruction, commercial exploitation - and of course, fake products. Out on the frontiers of survival, battles are waged; while far behind the lines, lovers luxuriate in riches which are the spoils of conquest - isn't this irony how it has always been?
Take the example of a poor farmer who needs to feed his family. Life is a struggle and they are weary from the daily effort, year in year out. One day, an outsider comes wearing a suit and offers them three times what they are making from their crops to replant with something else, and a guarantee of purchase of the crop. He offers instructions, support, seeds. Do you think the farmer will worry that his changing of the crops will unbalance the ecosystem of the region? Of course not. Do you think the trader will be concerned? Of course not - and he has a family to feed also.
The trader insists that the product must be grown organically. But he doesn't know the region - and, a few months later, swarms of insects come and are devouring the new crop. The farmer has a choice - spray the crop with pesticides or lose everything. If the crop fails, he will be ruined and his family may starve, and no-one will be able to help. Also, if he tells the rich trader that the crop was sprayed, the trader may not buy it. So he does what he must, spends his last money saving his crop. The plants finish looking great, no-one is any the wiser and life goes on.
The above story is entirely fabricated but its an example of how "stuff happens". Often, people think that there is some great evil in the world - but in many ways it is the combined forces of billions of mouths that need food.
These things all weave into the complex tapestry that it's important to understand when dealing with the world of exotic aphrodisiacs. Product quality standards such as organic or manufacturing quality may not be closely monitored - and when a third world country comes into contact with first-world financial opportunity, carnage can occur - often far, far away from the place where the product is consumed.
Some good examples of medicinal plant collecting and the environment - http://www.fao.org/docrep/W7261e/W7261e17.HTM
Another example - http://purpleslinky.com/trivia/random/thirteen-weirdest-aphrodisiacs/ - see "turtle eggs".
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Note - the information on this website is not medical advice, has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure any disease. Please seek advice from a medical professional if you have symptoms, are concerned about your health, and before using supplements or aphrodisiac products.
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