The Kani tribe, a small nomadic indigenous group based in the Western Ghats of Kerala, has become one of the first indigenous groups in India to successfully claim its rights regarding the sustainable use of a wild plant. The Kani have finally come to an agreement with the government concerning the harvesting and use of an indigenous medicinal plant which only grows in the Kani’s traditional forests. Under the agreement, the Kani will share any profits from drugs derived from a plant called Arogyapacha. The plant is well known to the indigenous Kani for strengthening the immune system and increasing energy levels.
The preamble to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which has been approved by 178 countries, states that sustainable use of biological diversity is a crucial component of the lives of indigenous peoples. Article 8(j) of the Convention states that “knowledge, innovations and practices of local or indigenous communities of individuals cannot be used without their involvement and approval, ensuring, in the process, equitable sharing of benefits.” The convention aims to restrict companies that market biological products from exploiting local indigenous populations, and requires fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of local biological resources. The Kani’s case is an encouraging example of an indigenous community that escaped biological exploitation, to become instead a shareholder in the harvesting, research and use of a local resource, and in the potential economic benefits.
The Kani have long used Arogyappacha to boost energy and strength. The plant grows only in the hills of Kerala province, in the area traditionally occupied by the Kani. In 1987 two scientists obtained samples of the plant and proceeded to study its medicinal value. The Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute studied the plant for eight years until it developed a drug, called Jeevani -“source of life”. Following the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, the institute is committed to sharing its profits from the Jeevani drug with the Kani. This situation is far from typical, as in many cases indigenous peoples around the world are regularly exploited for their medicinal knowledge. In 1999 the Kani community received its first payment of $12,500 with more proceeds to come annually.
