02-05-2008, 03:26 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Propecia, CA
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Medicinal Plants Are Big Business In Germany
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Each year, 45,000 tons of medicinal plants are used in Germany -- more than in any other European country. But this booming business also creates problems for species preservation.
Drugs made from medicinal plants have become ever more popular among doctors and patients in Germany in recent years. Around 75 percent of customers in German pharmacies reach for a natural product when they buy non-prescription medications.
In 2006, so-called phytopharmaceuticals accounted for around 2 billions euros ($2.9 billion) worth of revenue, or about a third of the total revenue in non-prescription medications. That translates into a high demand for the raw materials for these products -- medicinal plants and their leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds.
Pharma Wernigerode, one of the largest pharmaceuticals companies in eastern Germany, processes around a dozen medicinal plants, including five tons of chamomile and one ton of thyme annually.
In total, 45,000 tons of medicinal plants are consumed in Germany each year, making it the market leader in Europe. According to statistics from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) around 1,500 types of plants are traded in Germany, in larger or smaller amounts.
"Internationally, we are in third place as importers and also in third place as exporters," said BfN conservationist Uwe Schippmann. "Germany is a real hub for this market."
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https://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,...106747,00.html
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