Breadcrumbs
Unlocking the value of Britain's Wild Harvest - 18 February 2004
Authors Helen Sanderson and Hew Prendergast, from the Centre of Economic Botany at Kew, travelled across Britain, from the wetlands of the Tay Estuary, to wildflower meadows in West Sussex, to visit enterprises that use wild and traditionally managed plants for a range of products from food and drink, materials and fuels, to decoration, medicines and healthcare.
What they found was a multi-million pound industry that employs thousands of people each year. Britain’s Wild Harvestshows that soap makers in Kent, marsh samphire collectors on Norfolk’s muddy saltmarshes and basket weavers in Somerset, all contribute to the UK economy.
“The vast range of skills we found among people making a living from harvesting wild plants was astounding,” said Helen Sanderson. ‘These small but thriving local industries are run by people with an enormous amount of passion and enthusiasm. Our aim for the book is to show the value of our wild plants, and the contribution they make to local economies and biodiversity in Britain.”
Sir Ewen Cameron, Chairman of the Countryside Agency said: “Britain’s wild harvest is an industry in itself: thousands of rural jobs rely on it. For example, the largest natural elderflower cordial producer has an annual turnover of £5 million a year, and provides more than 700 seasonal and full-time jobs.
“But this industry does more than provide money and jobs. It champions environmentally friendly land management, highlights the widespread use and importance of rural crafts, and strengthens regional identities. Through our Eat the View campaign, which encourages closer links between the consumer and the local products they buy, and our work to support rural crafts and trades training, we have long recognised the need to encourage and sustain these vital rural industries now, and for future generations,” concluded Sir Ewen.
Britain’s Wild Harvest by Hew Prendergast and Helen Sanderson is packed with photographs and is available to order from all good bookshops and from www.kewbooks.com (tel 020 8332 5170) priced £9.95.
A photographic exhibition of Britain’s Wild Harvest will be on display at Ashdown Forest from 10 January to 26 March, then at Kew’s country estate, Wakehurst Place, from early summer to October (dates tbc).
The value of Britain’s Wild Harvest include:
- Elderflower cordial: Elder (Sambucus nigra): employs 650 seasonal pickers. 40 people are employed in full-time manufacture. Annual turnover of largest elder drinks company is £5million per year.
- Fruits, vegetable and mushrooms: Fungi (14 commerically collected edible species) sustain nine companies in UK. Total sales of British fungi £375,000 per year. Marsh samphire (Salicornia europaea) provides jobs for 100 seasonal pickers in Norfolk.
- Thatch: Reed (Phragmites australis) employs about 1,000 seasonal harvesters, land managers and thatchers, with annual sales worth £753,950.
- Basket weaving: Willow (Salix) and woody hedgerow species used by 355 professional basket weavers.
- Habitat restoration: Tree, shrub and wildflower meadow species. 42 companies selling seeds sourced from wild flora. Sales of £1 million per year.
- Mistletoe (Viscum album): Harvesters receive about £60,000/year at auction.
A growing public interest in biodiversity loss, natural food and medicines, food miles and fair trade issues, prompted the Countryside Agency, English Nature and Scottish Natural Heritage to commission RBG Kew to survey the commercial uses of wild and traditionally managed plants. The aim was to find out which species are used, the number of jobs they support and what are the threats and opportunities, which may undermine or sustain their continued use.
Notes to Editors:
For interviews with the authors, review copies or photographs, please contact Hannah Rogers, Kew press office on 020 8332 5607 or Mel Capper, Countryside Agency press office on 020 7340 2909.
Case study information and a CD with photographs are available on request.
Kew Gardensis open daily from 9.30am. Closing times vary with season. For details about visiting Kew, phone 020 8332 5655 or check out Kew’s website at http://www.kew.org/
The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to make the quality of life better for people in the countryside and the quality of the countryside better for everyone www.countryside.gov.uk
