OVERVIEW

"Bearing of the Seal represents the commitment to go Beyond Organic and Beyond Fair Trade by giving back to our Earth Mother and her people in a way consistent with the generation of fresh revenue for the preservation of our world's natural places and the deep cultural traditions therein".
                                                                                                             Earth Council, 2006

GOALS

1) To generate fresh revenue streams for the preservation of our worlds natural places and the deep cultural traditions therein.

2) To unite businesses, organizations, indigenous peoples and consumers of the world in order to implement projects and programming in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the Council.

3) To promote environmental, social and economic justice through culturally appropriate sustainable development of products, systems and services in order to benefit all cultures, human health and planetary health.

4) To facilitate culturally relevant economically viable conservation of both culture and biodiversity.

5) Development and implementation of models demonstrating culturally appropriate and economically viable conservation.

Code of Ethics:

1. Appropriate Market Development

Green Business Model-Giving back via generation of fresh revenue for the preservation of our world's natural places and the deep cultural traditions therein (Going Beyond Organic & Beyond Fair Trade)





2. Beyond Organic Agricultural Standards

Soil Conservation
Water Conservation
Species Conservation
Traditional Agricultural Methods Conservation





3. Beyond Fair Trade Relations

Indigenous Economic Empowerment AND tethering revenues to traditional lands (our world’s natural places) such that they may be maintained with high ecological integrity for global health and wellness.





4. Sustainable Development

Responsible use of natural resources and conservation.





5. Education

Facilitation of self-empowerment via mutually beneficial culturally relevant educational interactions in support of the goals of the Council





6. Conservation & Appropriate Action

Promote Preservation of Indigenous Cultures
Preservation of Indigenous Lands and Global Heritage
Support of Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights





7. Human Health

Preservation of Traditional Healing Knowledge
Support of Generational Transmission of Traditional Healing Knowledge
Support of Global Health and Wellness via Conservation of Ecological Integrity

8. Political Advocacy



Influence global and local policy with respect to ecologically sustainable strategic solutions that are supportive of the goals of the Council and consistent with the Code of Ethics.

Requirements in accordance with Goals and Code of Ethics:

Appropriate Market Development
Uniting traders and indigenous counterparts around the world as a point of contact in order to promote intercultural dialogue and mutually beneficial relationships supportive of Council goals. Green business Council members conduct themselves in accordance with Code of Ethics and in support of goals of Council. They contribute either their own internally direct and appropriate field programming, or fitting percentages of profits to programming that promotes the goals of the Council and by extension the general well being of the indigenous communities and lands within which they work. If no direct internal programming is available members may do so through programming via Naturaleza and their global network.

Beyond Organic Agriculture
Promote organically grown and/or sustainably and ethically wild-harvested indigenous products produced in accordance with indigenous traditions and cycles. Soil, water and species conservation protocols must be met appropriately and there must be supportive mechanisms for the maintenance of traditional growing methods including generational transmission of knowledge.

Beyond Fair Trade
Observe fair trade and indigenous economic empowerment practices AND tether revenues to traditional lands (our world’s natural places) such that they may be maintained with high ecological integrity for global health and wellness.

Sustainable Development & Conservation
Promote Preservation of Indigenous Cultures
Preservation of Indigenous Lands and Global Heritage
Support of Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights

Human Health Preservation of Traditional Healing Knowledge
Support of Generational Transmission of Knowledge
Support of Global Health and Wellness via Conservation of Ecological Integrity

Political Advocacy Influence global and local policy with respect to ecologically sustainable strategic solutions that are supportive of the goals of the Council and consistent with the Code of Ethics.

APPLICABILITY & NEED

Indigenous peoples worldwide have a cosmocentric view of life and have long lived in harmony with nature. This vital relationship with the planet spawned their deep reverence and understanding of our natural world and the indigenous view of man as a part of nature and not separate from it. As a result, traditional healers and their age-old knowledge hold countless benefits for our health and wellness. This knowledge along with our rainforests and planetary ecological integrity is disappearing. Language is fundamental to cultural heritage and of the 15,000 languages spoken 70 years ago, only 6000 are spoken today (1). The implications of this trend are quite unfortunate for a multitude of reasons including the fact that languages embody wisdom and cultural identities encompassing deep healing traditions which have long helped indigenous communities maintain personal health and wellness, and, most importantly, they can help these communities and others today. Statistics are clear in showing that our earth’s rainforests are being destroyed at a staggering rate. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), we have lost between 9 million and 12 million ha per year from 1990 to 2000. The FAO estimates that approximately 0.8 percent of that which is left is destroyed annually and that, at present, total rainforest losses annually range from 5 million ha to over 20 million ha (2).

Jeffrey McNeely, chief scientist for IUCN, has argued at the recent Biodiversity and Health conference (3) that the preservation of indigenous cultures and the tropical forests they live in are inseparable and can only be achieved together. Unfortunately, indigenous communities are often biodiversity rich but economically and politically disadvantaged. A recent analysis of human development and poverty in Latin America, shows that although poverty rates overall have been declining in Latin America, the poverty rate in indigenous communities has remained the same (4). Therefore, it is quite important to find ways to minimize, and, hopefully, stop, the destruction of the rainforests and to support culturally appropriate economic development of the areas which house the enormous amounts of species diversity essential to the health of ourselves and our planet. To more effectively accomplish the preservation of culture and biodiversity, it is apparent that sustainable livelihoods must be available for local peoples from the living rainforests. In the recent past this has been attempted by linking biodiversity prospecting for drug discovery with benefit sharing agreements with indigenous people. Some of these arrangements, however well intentioned and negotiated, have run into opposition because of the view that traditional knowledge was being sacrificed for international commercial interests (5).

Two alternatives that may provide viable conservation solutions and support for indigenous communities is the promotion for respect and integration of traditional healing in national health care and the sustainable management of tropical rainforests for their productive capacity in terms of medicinal plants and tropical foodstuff. Medicinal plants and exotic fruits and nuts are found in forested areas throughout Central America and the world, and indigenous peoples have used them in traditional healing and wellness for many thousands of years. By studying the time-honored relationships between plants and people, we can explore the resources of the rainforests to deliver health and wellness options to many groups of people. Real benefits that are applicable to modern day healing and health and wellness in many situations can be seen, and they can give the world a very practical reason to minimize destruction in these regions. For example, since approximately 80% of the world’s population relies on traditional healing for primary care (6), it is clear that there are substantial market forces encompassing traditional healing and medicinal plants. Key objectives would include preservation of invaluable medicinal plants by preserving their native areas, as well as preservation of indigenous healing knowledge held by populations in those areas. Clearly there are intellectual property and spiritual issues that need to be addressed. Some plants and traditions are sacred, or used in a spiritual context that must be respected. However, many indigenous peoples and their healers share the view that useful botanical treatments and whole foods should be shared with other people and benefits should return to the indigenous communities and their environments.

We can be assured of the financial benefits of such appropriately planned culturally appropriate conservation strategies because the market for traditional healing and herbals exists in several facets and is expanding very quickly. The economic potential of medicinal plants alone has been clearly illustrated via the development of revenue generating botanically based pharmaceuticals. However, to date, pharmaceutical use of plants has been particularly unpromising for assisting local people and conservation of biodiversity and culture. Either the benefits never materialize, or unsustainable industrial use of plants has outstripped supply (e.g., Devil’s Claw, Pygeum, Taxus, et cetera). This is particularly sad when one considers the economic possibilities for conservation based on the fact that some twenty-five percent of all prescription drugs are derived from plant sources, and, of these, most were discovered because of their prior use by traditional healers (6). In 2000, the world market for herbal medicines based on traditional healing knowledge was estimated to be $60 billion (8). With approximately one fourth of the medicines available today owing their existence to plants, and one-quarter of our modern day medical pharmacopoeia coming from less than one percent of our rainforests that have been evaluated, evidence shows that there is much promise in developing an economic impetus for conservation. There is great potential in the unknown. However, better models for tethering the economic benefits regionally to people and planet are needed. The prospective revenues of the living rainforest are multifaceted and well rooted in herbals and botanically based pharmaceuticals, however, they are not completely dependent upon the plants. This is only one of the multiple applications of traditional healing-there is tremendous value in the healing knowledge itself as well.

The World Health Organization estimates that presently more than 80% of the world’s population relies on traditional healing modalities and herbals for primary health care and wellness (6). There has been a reawakening of interest in traditional healing modalities among individuals in western cultures through Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). In the developed world, CAM is now a multi-billion dollar industry with visits to alternative practitioners exceeding total visits to all U.S. primary care physicians (9) and sales of herbal supplements reaching $4.3 billion dollars in 2004 (10). CAM expenditures are continually growing and can be currently described as a substantial component of the present day Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) market. This market force describes a $230 billion, and growing exponentially, U.S. marketplace for goods and services that, in their own divisions of the market, not only improve health and quality of life, but protect eco-systems, develop human potential in a sustainable manner, reduce the use of natural resources, allow mankind and the natural world to live more harmoniously, and create or conduct business in a socially responsible manner (11). Together these global market forces and demand for CAM and traditional healing provide a perfect backdrop to usher in a new paradigm of eco-preservation.

References

1) Davis, W. (1999). Clouded Leopard. Douglas and MacIntyre Publishing Group,
         Vancouver, B.C.





2) United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (2000). Global forest
         resources assessment 2000. (FAO Forestry Paper 140. United Nations).
         Retrieved 03 August 2005 from FAO Website:
         www.fao.org/forestry/fo/fra/main/





3) Arnason, J., Catling, P., Small, E., Dang, P., Lambert, J., Editors (2005).
         Biodiversity & health: focusing research to policy. Proceedings of the
         international symposium, held in Ottawa, Canada, October 25-28, 2003.
         NRC Research Press, Ottawa, ON.





4) Hall, G. and Patrinos, H.A. (2006). Indigenous People, Poverty and Human
         Development in Latin America: 1994-2004, Palgrave Macmillan, UK





5) Nigh, R. (2002). Maya Medicine in the Biological Gaze. Current Anthopology.
         43: 451-477





6) World Health Organization (2002). WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-
        2005. Geneva, Switzerland (WHO/EDM/TRM/2002.1).





7) Pesek, T., Cal, M., Cal. V., Minty., C., Dunham, P., Sanchez, P., Poveda, L.,
         Arnason, J. (2006) Rapid Ethnobotanical Survey of the Maya Mountains
         Range in Southern Belize, Central America: A Pilot Study. Trees for Life
         Journal. Submitted.





8) United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (2000). Global forest
         resources assessment 2000. (FAO Forestry Paper 140. United Nations).
         Retrieved 03 August 2005 from FAO Website: www.fao.org/forestry/fo/fra/main/





9) Eisenberg, D. M., Davis, R. B., Ettner, S. L., Appel, S., Wilkey, S., VanRompay,
         and Kessler, R. C. (1998). Trends in alternative medicine use in the United
         States, 1990-1997: Results of a follow-up national survey. JAMA,
         280, 1569-1575.





10) Wright, T. (2005). Herbs and Botanicals Update: Uncovering the latest
         developments in the herbs and botanicals market. Nutraceutical World. July





11) Pesek, T. (2003). About Naturaleza. Retrieved 20 July 2005 from Naturaleza,
         Inc Website: www.naturalezafoundation.org/us.htm

INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS

A.   APPLICANTS

Applications to participate in the Earth Council Seal will be received and considered by Naturaleza, Inc., 11860 Clifton Boulevard, Lakewood, Ohio 44107. Applications shall be enclosed in an opaque sealed envelope and marked “Earth Council Seal Application”, and shall bear the name of the Applicant.

B.  DEFINITIONS

Earth Council Seal - Process by which an organization or business can display socially, culturally and environmentally responsible attributes. Bearing of the Seal represents the commitment to go Beyond Organic and Beyond Fair Trade by giving back to our Earth Mother and her people in a way consistent with the generation of fresh revenue for the preservation of our world’s natural places and the deep cultural traditions therein.

Naturaleza - 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. Naturaleza and it’s steering committee implement and regulate the use of the Earth Council Seal.

Steering Committee - Collective group of individual Indigenous leaders, scientists and green business leaders joined in an effort to give back to the earth and her people through socially responsible business models and conservation.

Applicant - Organization or business requesting the use of the Earth Council Seal of approval for a specific product or service.

Council Member - An organization or business that has successfully gone through the approval process and obtained use of the Earth Council Seal.

C.  CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS

Naturaleza reserves the right to reject any or all applications if in the judgment of the steering committee, application is not consistent with the objectives of the Earth Council Seal.

D.  APPROVAL OF APPLICATION

The approval of the application will be made within sixty (60) calendar days after the opening of said application subject to compliance with all the requirements prescribed. In no case will approval be made until all necessary investigations are made as to the responsibility of the applicant to whom it is proposed to award approval of the use of the Seal. The successful applicant will be notified by letter mailed to the address shown in the application, stating that its application has been accepted and that it has been granted authority to properly display the Earth Council Seal.

E.  CANCELLATION OF APPROVAL

Naturaleza reserves the right to rescind the approval of the use of the Earth Council Seal at any time.

F.  EXECUTION OF CONTRACT

The successful applicant shall sign and return the contract, together with the required documents, within ten (10) days after the applicant has received notice that the use of the Seal has been approved

G. QUALIFICATION OF APPLICANT

The Applicant must furnish on the form attached hereto information relative to the Indigenous partnerships, products, services, facilities, ability, and financial resources available for the proper fulfillment of the use of the Earth Council Seal.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A  CERTIFICATIONS AND CONFORMANCE

Before use of the Earth Council Seal, the Council Member shall furnish Naturaleza with certification or proof that the product/service adheres to the guidelines of the Earth Council. The Council Member shall be notified at once of the approval/rejection and the reason why therefore, which will be confirmed in writing.

B.  UNACCEPTABLE PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Any product or service inconsistent with the goals and Code of Ethics of the Council.

C.  RENEWAL OF APPLICATION AND COST

Application renewals will be processed on a yearly basis. Applications will be received one year from acceptance of original application.

D.  AUTHORITY OF NATURALEZA / STEERING COMMITTEE

Naturaleza will decide all questions that may arise as to the quality and acceptability of products/services utilizing the Earth Council Seal. The committee will decide all questions that may arise as to interpretation of the guidelines, and other issues that may compromise the integrity of the Seal.