IUCN - Orchids

Amy Hinsley (University of Oxford) and I are serving as co-chairs of a new IUCN Species Survival Commission Sub-Group focused on the global trade of orchids.

TheSpecies Survival Commission (SSC) is a science-based network of more than 10,000 volunteer experts from almost every country of the world, all working together towards achieving the vision of, "A just world that values and conserves nature through positive action to reduce the loss of diversity of life on earth". The SSC includes expert groups focused on taxa ranging from bears to seahorses to orchids, which advise governments, NGOs, industry and the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) on taxa specific issues.

Our new Global Trade Sub-Group, part of the Orchid Specialist Group, provides expertise related to the sustainable trade and use of orchids, whether as ornamental plants for horticulture or for use in a wide range of edible, medicinal and cosmetic products.