rosy periwinkle

• location

  Indigenous to Madagascar and is common in sub-tropical areas
• growing conditions

  Dry, nutritionally deficient conditions and the temperature never falls below 7 degrees Celsius. Has a year long flowering period. Needs well drained soil and warm temperatures around 27 degrees.
• medicinal uses

  leaves- alkaloids (nitrogen containing compounds) which have anti-cancer agents that are harvested. The vincristine is used to increase survival rates of childhood leukaemia to 90%. Vinblastine is used to treat Hodgkin's disease and it can help to induce vomiting which acts as a poison remedy.

  Flower- asthma remedy

  Roots- laxative and a haemostatic (stops bleeding)
• International trade

  Global sales of vincristine and vinblastine are worth hundreds of millions dollars to a US pharmaceutical company (Eli Lily).75

  Little profit to locals

  Worth over £75 million annually

  Cultivated in Asia as it is cheaper for pharmaceutical companies to grow.
• biopiracy= the illegal trade of plants and animals

  Deprives Madagascar of valuable trade and exports

  This hinders the countrys economic growth

  The french government (MMP) in 2013 addressed this issue

  The EU have made new legislations to make companies use sustainable methods