Sustainable Use
Integrating sustainable wild plant and fungi trade into landscape restoration.
Long-term restoration succeeds when it supports both people and nature. Sustainable use of wild plants and fungi can help achieve this balance by providing livelihoods while reducing pressure on overexploited species. Linking restoration with sustainable trade offers a practical way to protect biodiversity, strengthen local economies and build lasting support for restored landscapes.
This project developed practical tools to help restoration teams unlock these benefits. It addressed three main barriers: limited transparency and financial viability in wild plant supply chains, the perception that restored landscapes cannot provide local benefits, and a shortage of guidance tailored to Europe that draws on international best practice.
What the project did
The project created a toolkit, online course and practitioner guidance to help teams assess whether and how sustainable wild species use could support their restoration goals. Templates and examples make it easier to integrate sustainable use into planning and management.
Case studies from Europe and Africa show this potential in practice, from reducing pressure on forests in Romania to supporting income diversification in Kenya and Malawi. Together, these examples demonstrate how restoration and sustainable livelihoods can reinforce one another, creating stronger and more resilient landscapes.
Outputs
Online course and guidance: Enhancing restoration through sustainable use
Interactive course and supporting materials for practitioners on linking restoration goals with the sustainable use of wild plants and fungi.
Online course and guidance: Enhancing Restoration Through Sustainable Use
Practitioner guidance: Enhancing restoration through sustainable use
Detailed guide outlining best practices for assessing, planning and implementing sustainable use within restored landscapes.
Enhancing restoration through sustainable use
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