The pharmaceuticals industry in India is agitated over the finalisation of a list of 56 herbs whose export is to be banned. Drawn up by the ministry of commerce in consultation with the ministry of environment and forests (MEF), the list, which includes Jatamansi, is being expanded by the MEF to include 102 species. Business houses say that the move will ruin the Ayurvedic and herbal medicine industry. They are planning to represent their case before the biodiversity unit of the MEF. Darshan Shankar, an advisor to the MEF, counters the complaints, saying that two rounds of meetings have already been held between the MEF and various companies.

But both the industry and the government are unconcerned over the impact of this move on the lifestyle of communities making a living from trade of such plants. Since there was a great demand for these plants, herb collection was a major source of income for these people. Now this will stop abruptly. The poor, once again, have neither been consulted nor their future considered. And little effort made to encourage cultivation of these species.