Hoodia - National Utilization

Hoodia spp. are widely used traditionally by the San people as an appetite suppressant, thirst quencher and as a cure for severe abdominal cramps, haemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and diabetes.

Various uses have been recorded among Anikhwe (northern Botswana), Hei//om (northern Namibia), Khomani (north western South Africa), and the !Xun and Khwe (Khoe) (originally from Angola) communities.

Less is known about the use of these plants by other indigenous people, but some records show limited use of plant parts as food items, albeit not as preferred food items.

Hoodias are known to be used for cultural purposes in some areas (Hargreaves and Turner, 2002). Although relatively difficult
to cultivate, Hoodias are attractive plants and are used for horticultural purposes.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa isolated an active compound (P57) for appetite suppression from Hoodia Gordonii. The CSIR licensed the rights for further development of P57 and the setting up of a sustainable production system to Phytopharm in the UK.

Phytopharm in turn sub-licensed the rights to Pfizer for the development and global commercialisation, but Pfizer has recently returned the clinical developmental rights.

In terms of a benefit sharing agreement with the CSIR, all the San communities in the range States will benefit from the development of P57.

Legal International Trade

Botswana: Harvesting for export has been permitted in some instances. This requires a permit and the area where harvesting is taking place is inspected by officers from the Agricultural Resources Board. One exporter reported exporting 2500kg/month.

Namibia: Exports have thus far been limited to herbarium collections. Manufactured pharmaceutical preparations for dieting and appetite suppression have appeared in the Namibian market, presumably as plant extracts from South African origin.

Considerable potential exists for promoting sustainable legal trade in co-operation with responsible pharmaceutical companies.

Negotiations are already under way in this regard, and Namibia intends to establish a controlled harvesting system in co-operation with specific manufacturing companies that make commitments to support conservation and use only material obtained through controlled harvesting or other forms of production.

South Africa: In trying to expand the development of Hoodia products, a limited amount of wild collected material was supplied to developing companies (permits issued by Northern Cape Nature Conservation and Western Cape Nature Conservation).

There is a limited amount of trade in cultivated material. Permits have been issued to projects linked to the CSIR since 1998 (80 plants in 1998, 200 plants in 2000, 1350kg from cultivated sources in 2001, and 1900kg from cultivated sources in 2002)

Illegal trade

The extent of illegal trade is unknown. Illegal exports have been reported from Botswana for the extraction of the active ingredient in manufacturing appetite suppressants by Biomed (Anonymous, 2003, Hargreaves and Turner, 2002).

Namibia has experienced attempts at illegal trade (solicitation by a North American company to individuals to supply material after being informed that exports will not be authorized).

There is also illegal collecting in South Africa. A North American company claims to be importing 1,200 to 2,800 kg of dried Hoodia plants per week, but the source of this material is not known and it is assumed to be illegal.

Limited illegal collection by succulent enthusiasts also occurs throughout the region.

Source CITES

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