Comercialização de plantas medicinais em mercados públicos no estado da Paraíba, Nordeste, Brasil

Abstract

Ethnobotany is an interdisciplinary field of knowledge that aims to understand the existing relationships between human societies and plants, and the application of these resources in human health as one of its points of study. The diversity of environmental conditions and cultural factors influences the wealth of knowledge about medicinal plants, and the merchants of these plants are a rich source of knowledge. The present study aimed to register knowledge about medicinal plants commercialized in Paraíba, the productive chain of trade of these products and to evaluate the possible temporal variations in the availability of species in commerce during the period of one year. Semi-structured interviews were conducted quarterly with traders of medicinal plants, the data obtained were analyzed by the Relative Importance (IR) index, and by similarity analysis. 35 traders were interviewed in 7 municipalities distributed among 4 mesoregions in the state of Paraíba. Most informants have trade in medicinal plants as a supplement to other activities or trade in other products. Traders interviewed, in most cases presented more than 10 years of activity in commerce, and a learning relationship on medicinal plants coming mainly from the family. Possible influences from the globalization process were also observed by the insertion of new species in the trade due to the influence of the internet and the media. It was observed prominence for the trade of species acquired from middlemen and for the trade of leaves, barks and seeds. The data obtained show a wide dynamic in the trade of medicinal plants in the Paraíba state.