4.1 Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the Vjosa Watershed

94 Pages·2016·27.48 MB·English

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(cid:1) Abstract

(cid:1) (cid:1)
T he free flowing Vjosa River in Albania and its rich biodiversity are
b eing threatened by the construction of dams for hydropower. Our goal
was to identify opportunities to improve the sustainability of medicinal
and aromatic plants (MAPs) harvesting and collection in the Vjosa
catchment area. In addition, we explored the ramifications of potential
dams on the MAPs trade. Our team conducted a study to determine
how the large and increasing demand for Albanian MAPs in export
markets influence harvesting practices. We concluded that collectors
need to implement guidelines for sustainable harvesting in order to
help preserve the natural resource base for the trade of wild MAPs.
Also, to increase revenues in the region, we recommended the
development of a Vjosa MAPs brand for marketing.
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Acknowledgements
Our sponsors at the office of responses became the base of our
We would like to thank our EcoAlbania also deserve to be findings chapter, and we could not
sponsors at EcoAlbania and the acknowledged. Olsi Nika, Besjana have done our project without their
University of Tirana for their superb Guri, and Dr. Pranvera Bekteshi have cooperation.
guidance during the course of our all inspired our team with their Finally, we would like to thank
project. To begin, we could not have passion and commitment to their our project advisors, Professor Robert
done this project without Professor cause. They have helped us Hersh and Professor Peter
Aleko Miho from the University of tremendously every step of the way, Christopher, for their unwavering
Tirana, who was there to answer our from the logistics of our field study to support throughout the duration of
questions every step of the way. the general goal of our project, all our project. With their guidance and
Additionally, Professor Miho has while dealing with the pressing issues timely feedback, we were able to
dedicated countless hours of his busy of running an environmental NGO. realize our project’s true potential.
schedule to contribute to the success We were very fortunate to work at They were always willing to help us
of our project, gathering needed their office on a daily basis, as we have with the difficulties of our project, and
information from various Albanian developed both personal and we are incredibly grateful for their
sources that we otherwise would not professional relationships with them. support.
have been able to access. He, along We would hope to stay in contact even
with Professor Lulzim Shuka and Dr. after we depart for the United States.
Jani Marka have shown us incredible Through Olsi and Besjana, we
hospitality and have made us feel very met Eltoni Pashollari, Alexander
welcome during our stay in Tirana. Totti and Gëzim Shehu, who acted as
We are incredibly grateful and lucky translators and guides for us during
to work with such highly motivated our field studies. Without their
and generous people. Furthermore, hospitality, transportation, and
the professors introduced us to Gerta patient translations, a large portion of
Bidoshi, who is a Masters student this project would not have been
working in the Department of Biology. possible.
We would like to extend our gratitude We would also like to
to her for working diligently on parts acknowledge our interviewees for
of the project with us, all while taking answering all of our questions and
rigorous courses at the University of taking time out of their days to help
Tirana. us with our project. Their thoughtful

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Authorship

Introduction Everybody Formatting: Soylu
Section 2.1: Larson Documentary Storyboard:
Section 2.2: Larson Amirault, Larson
Section 2.3: Amirault, Soylu Post-Editing: Soylu
Section 2.4: Soylu Fact Sheet: Soylu
Section 2.5: Larson Poster: Soylu
Section 2.6: Amirault, Larson HPPs Map: Amirault
Section 2.7: Amirault, Collins
Methodology: Everybody
Section 3.1: Amirault, Collins
Section 3.2: Amirault
Section 3.3: Soylu This report represents the work of
Section 3.4: Larson WPI undergraduate students
Section 4.1: Amirault, Larson submitted to the faculty as evidence
Section 4.2: Amirault of completion of a degree
Section 4.3: Everybody requirement. WPI routinely
Section 4.4: Larson publishes these reports on its website
Conclusions: Amirault, Larson without editorial or peer review.

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Executive Summary
The Vjosa Watershed
The free flowing Vjosa River
in Albania and its biodiversity are
threatened by the construction of
dams for hydropower (Figure 1). The
Vjosa River is one of the largest
rivers in Southern Europe, extending
272 kilometers from the Pindos
Mountains in Greece to the Adriatic
Sea in Vlora (Figure 2) (Save the
Blue Heart of Europe, 2016).
The districts in the Vjosa catchment
area are incredibly biodiverse, with
over 700 taxa of higher plants found
in only Gjirokastra (Malo 2010).
Experts estimate over 1500 species of
vascular plants are present in the
region, however Dr. Lulëzim Shuka
says it is difficult to know the true
number, as new species are still
being discovered (personal
communication, Nov. 30, 2016). Figure 1: Vjosa River (© L. Shuka)
However, this rare natural state is
threatened by 33 small hydropower
plants (HPPs) either planned or into account more fully, when it the trade of medicinal and aromatic
already under construction along the considers hydropower on the Vjosa, plants, which would be affected by
Vjosa and its tributaries. the value of the region’s biodiversity dams.
Environmentalists, including our and opportunities for rural
sponsor, EcoAlbania, are working to development based on tourism and
encourage the government to take sustainable resource use, including
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Medicinal and Aromatic production companies. Some district
level collectors have facilities for

Plants (MAPs)
storing and drying plants while
others combine MAPs from various
Over the past decade there harvesters in different districts and
has been a clear increase in the then sell the plants to three different
demand for medicinal and aromatic markets: packagers, medium
plants (MAPs). These MAPs are processors and large processors.
defined as “botanical raw materials,” Medium and large processor receive
from which herbal and medicinal MAPs directly from cultivators
drugs, culinary spices, and cosmetic (Figure 3). Medium-sized processors
products are created (Export Impact, are mainly responsible for direct
2016). There is also a section within sales to foreign customers, (USAID
the MAPs trade that is focused on 2009) while large processors have a
essential oils, which are processed more organized operation, working
from the MAPs and then sold at a with large international company
higher value. These products are such as McCormick's (Paul 2014);
highly sought by medicinal (USAID 2009).
practitioners and common people Estimates suggest that the
alike, therefore increasing the MAPs trade provides rural Albanians
demand for MAPs each year (Export with a significant source of revenue,
Impact, 2016). with figures ranging from as 35% to
90% of household annual
MAPs trade in Albania earnings. (Furth 2015, Gjedra

spokeswoman said 90% in some
The supply chain is composed cases). Medicinal and aromatic
of local harvesters, district collectors plants products are involved in the
and production companies. Local everyday life of rural Albanian
harvesters are responsible for either families to supplement their income,
collecting plants from the wild or and the majority are collected from
cultivating them. Independent wild-grown plants within the
Figure 2: The Vjosa/Aoos Basin
collectors at the district level buy watershed. In Albania, home-use of
(Balkinrivers.net)
MAPs from harvesters and

cultivators, and act as middlemen
between the harvesters and the
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MAPs for traditional medicine is a
common occurrence (P. Kumi,
personal communication, Sept. 15,
2016). In rural regions especially,
household members rely on
traditional herbal medicines for most
minor illnesses. For example,
families often treat coughs with
coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) or use
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) for
intestinal issues, and they typically

cultivate frequently used species in Figure 3: Simplified Flowchart of the Supply Chain (USAID 2009)

their home gardens. (Pieroni, 2010).

In addition to providing

income to many families, they help

preserve cultural heritage through

their use in folk medicinal practice,
and on a national scale, stimulate the
growth of Albania’s international
exports (Imami et al 2015). Figure 4
provides illustrations for some of
plants found in the Vjosa valley.

Figure 4: Salvia Officinalis (right) and Thymis Longicaulus (left) (L.
Shuka)

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Objectives Vjosa watershed and evaluate We also conducted several

the findings. semi-structured interviews in Tirana
Our sponsor, EcoAlbania, is a
2. Create an interactive map of and in Berat to gain more
non-governmental environmental
Hydropower Plants within the information about the MAP industry.
group, created by professors from the
Vjosa watershed. By interviewing key stakeholders in
University of Tirana and the
3. Delineate the practices of the MAP supply chain, we were able
Albanian “Save the Blue Heart of
people involved with MAPs to analyze the perspective of each
Europe” team. EcoAlbania wants to
trade in the Vjosa watershed level of the chain, and consider what
know more about the plants in this
and identify measures to could be done to improve the quality
ecosystem and to what extent they
make the MAPs trade more of MAPs through harvesting and
might be threatened by proposed
sustainable. post-harvesting practices. We
dam construction.
4. Develop a short documentary conducted a field study in the
The goal of our project was to
that discusses the interplay southern Albanian towns of Permet,
identify opportunities to improve the
between the dams, MAPs and Tepelene and Kelcyre, which
sustainability of medicinal and
rural communities to be used involved conducting the majority of
aromatic plants harvesting and
as a persuasion tool by these interviews with collectors and
collection in the Vjosa catchment
EcoAlbania. production companies. It also was
area and to explore the ramifications
useful in creating our documentary,
of the potential dam construction on
since it offered a glance at the beauty
the MAPs trade. Our sponsor does Methods
of the Vjosa region.
not have up-to-date information on
After conducting interviews in
the economics or sustainability of the We created a complete and in-
both Tirana and the Vjosa basin, our
MAPs trade, so they sought our help depth inventory of the medicinal and
team developed a short documentary
in exploring sustainable options for aromatic plants found in the Vjosa
to showcase the social impacts of the
MAPs in the region and will use Valley through the synthesis of
MAPs trade and the potential dam on
findings to influence the public information from a few Masters and
rural communities. We did this by
opinion of the MAPs trade in the PhD theses and several reference
identifying the major aspects to
Vjosa, since this industry books. For each plant in the
include in the documentary by
demonstrates the value of the spreadsheet, we included its Latin
analyzing previous interviews and
region’s biodiversity. To achieve this name, Albanian name, English name,
determining which clips and
goal, we compiled the following locations it can be found, the type of
interviews supported those ideas. We
objectives: plant (i.e. angiosperm, gymnosperm)
used a GoPro to film the
1. Create a comprehensive and its endangerment state, if
documentary and logged each clip by
inventory of medicinal and applicable.
giving it a descriptive title with a
aromatic plant species in the
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three letter code to represent the extent. This finding leads us to deliver are organic. This focus on
location.We then developed a believe that the biodiversity in the quality and organic certification
storyboard, which outlines the times Vjosa region could be in danger if could lead to a premium in the
of each clip, the clip file being used these plant populations do not market and hence higher prices for
and the associated section of the file, recover. In addition, from the both collectors and harvesters and
the music and any voice over that interviews we conducted with potentially less damaging harvesting
may play. After the creation of the collectors and production companies, practices.
storyboard, we edited the film using most were not concerned about the But often MAPs sent to
iMovie editing software and overlaid state of the engenderment but were production companies are
the scenes with music. The trading MAPs that were labeled as commingled, that is a mix of organic
documentary will be used by our vulnerable on the red list. For and cultivated plants that fetch a
sponsor as a persuasion tool on social example, Agathokli Proko, a lower price in export markets. In our
media to further their organization’s collector, referred to mountain tea as interview with a collector from
goal to preserve the natural state of protected and endangered but he Kelcyre, he discussed how production
the Vjosa River. mentioned that it was still commonly companies tend to trust his product
traded. more so than some other collectors as
Findings Practices of People Involved with he does not mix the wild harvested
plant with the cultivated product (F.
the MAPs trade in the Vjosa
Inventory of Medicinal and
Mullaraj, personal communication,
Watershed and Identifying
Aromatic Plants in the Vjosa Nov. 15 2016). A third party company
Measures to Improve Sustainability
Watershed called AlbInspekt, which is financed
by certification fees, has the
As our background literature
After the creation of the
resources to put inspectors in the
suggests, the fact that the collectors
inventory of MAPs in the Vjosa
field to certify that harvesting and
do not have contracts with
watershed, we were able to analyze it
processing practices meets organic
production companies or harvesters
to evaluate which plants were most
standards (AlbInspekt, 2014). In
runs counter to the organic
commonly collected and which plants
doing so, the company enables MAPs
certification process. In order to be
were most endangered. The
production companies to trace the
declared organic, a product must be
information we found proves that the
provenance of their products If the
traceable back to its source (USAID
Vjosa is in incredibly biodiverse
company knows which MAPs of
2009). If collectors were to have
region in terms of plant species. Yet
theirs are wild-harvested, and they
contracts with certified organic
we discovered that approximately
can prove it, they are more likely to
harvesters, they could then provide
12% of the plants that we included in
obtain organic certification.
assurances to the production
our inventory were either
companies that the MAPs they
endangered or threatened to some
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From the interview with Develop a short documentary that The final and most significant
Gjedra, a medium sized production discusses the interplay between issue we focused on in our
company, much was learned about the dams, MAPs and rural documentary related directly to our
the types of products they produce, goal and our sponsor’s overall
communities
their markets, and even the purpose. While we did not have the
investments they have made in their Our first theme highlighted opportunity to visit the dams
facility. Overall, Gjedra seemed to be the aesthetic potential of river and directly, we did discuss the potential
positive that business would continue showcases the potential the region impact of the construction of the
to grow, particularly in the area of has for tourism. When we initially dams on the MAPs trade with the
organic products (L. Strumi, personal arrived in the region, we were collectors we interviewed, who saw
communication, Nov. 6, 2016). This is astounded by the beauty of the the potential impact of the dams not
indicative that the market as a whole scenery and felt that it could play a simply on the MAPs trade, but on the
is shifting more towards higher crucial role in the ability of our lives of the individuals in the regions
quality products, as the customers documentary to be persuasive. themselves.
are the ones showing interest and Another aspect that we wanted to
seeking out the organic products. focus on was the significance of the
Conclusion and
Due to the expressed interests river to the rural community
of customers, Gjedra has been members. To address the importance Recommendations
making an effort to invest in higher of the MAPs trade to the Vjosa region
From our interviews with
quality products. For example, we captured footage of a field of
production companies who export
Gjedra invested in a new processing cultivated sage, street markets in
MAPs to the EU and the USA to our
line in 2014, boasting that it is the Permet and a collection facility in
discussions with collectors in the
best in Albania for creating a “clean” Permet to attempt to have the viewer
Vjosa region, the issue of how to
product (L. Strumi, personal visualize all of the steps of the MAPs
make MAPs harvesting more
communication, Nov. 6, 2016). If supply chain. While showing those
sustainable was a major concern. It is
Gjedra is experiencing this sort of clips in the documentary, we
a complex issue: harvesters often feel
demand and accommodating it, it is determined that the best way to
the need to harvest a higher quantity
also likely that other companies in convey our message of the
because of the growing demands of
Albania that receive plants from the importance of the MAPs trade was by
the market, collectors are not
Vjosa watershed are also using text at key points to describe
typically in a position to monitor
experiencing same demand from the trade, use statistics and facts to
harvesting practices, and production
their consumers. build our argument and ultimately
companies have a difficult time
make the claim that the MAPs trade
tracking their products back to the
is crucial to those in the region.
source to prove they are organic.
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