The social practices of cultivation and gathering of medicinal plants in Ebenhaezer, Matzikama, Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the extent to which the increasing demand for medicinal plant and the resulting pressure on local cultivators to meet the demand impact upon cultivation and gathering practices of such plants. The specific focus is on the social practices of cultivation and gathering of medicinal plants in Ebenhaezer, a small-scale peri-urban town in Matzikama in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. This study will utilize survey and in-depth interviews techniques complemented with a focus group discussion on observed cultivation and gathering practices.