Jatamansi

Jatamansi is a herbaceous plant harvested by high-altitude communities in the Himalayas, the roots of which are mainly used in traditional medicine systems, including Ayurveda, Unani and Chinese, to treat a variety of mental health conditions and for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. The essential oil can also be used in aromatherapy and beauty products.

Names

Jatamansi, Nardostachys jatamansi

Found in ingredients as

Jatamansi, Spikenard, Nard, Akasamamsi, Baalchad, Centu

Used in

Top producers

Nepal

Conservation status

CITES:

IUCN Red List:

Appendix II

Access the full Jatamansi ingredient profile

Opportunities

Jatamansi harvesters in Nepal. Photo: ANSAB

Standards & Certification

Certifications can be a supporting tool to ensure responsible sourcing. A wide range of standards are available that can be applied to wild-harvested plants, such as FairWild, Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), Fairtrade, FairForLife, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Organic, Rainforest Alliance, and Certificate of Origin (e.g. DOP/PDO, PGI, TCG).

The FairWild Standard has been demonstrated to be well suited among relevant sustainability standards to certify CITES Appendix-II listed wild-sourced medicinal and aromatic plant species, and FairWild certified jatamansi is available.

Partnerships & Associations

There are a number of actors involved in medicinal plant governance and harvesting in Nepal, who can be connected with to ensure that responsible sourcing efforts are meaningful and beneficial to harvesters:

Government bodies including the Department of Forests and Soil Conservation, Divisional/sub-divisional Forest Offices, Department of Plant Resources
Community forest user groups
Commercial/trade bodies including the Nepal Herbs and Herbal Products Association (NEHHPA), Jadibuti Association of Nepal (JABAN), the Herbal Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal (HEAN), and the Ayurvedic Medicine Producers Association of Nepal (AMPAN)

Health & Safety

Multi-day trips are usually required to harvest Jatamansi. Safety and access to basic needs on these trips, including fresh water and first aid, should be ensured.

Conservation & Restoration

Protecting the regions where Jatamansi grows would benefit local species as well as the reproduction of Jatamansi itself. Nepal’s alpine meadows house several high-value medicinal plants and fungi including Jatamansi, Kutki, and cordyceps, and are also home to the Endangered Snow Leopard, Himalayan Goral, Serow, Himalayan Tahr, and a range of pollinator species.

Biological Risk

Classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List

Harvested for its roots and rhizomes and can therefore be destroyed through collection.

Distribution is regionally restricted to the Himalayan mountain range at 3300-5000 m above sea level.

Local population sizes are small and scattered thinly across its range.

Facing multiple threats:

overharvesting
habitat loss due to agricultural and urban expansion

It has several uses, resulting in demand from multiple industries.

Social Risk

Harvesters can be classified as vulnerable as they are typically located in remote, marginalised communities, and rely on medicinal plant harvest for income, sometimes having to take out advance loans from traders.

Although cases of forced labour have not been identified in the Jatamansi trade, loans from an employer can lead to debt bondage, an indicator of forced labour, as harvesters may not be free to leave their employer until they have worked (or harvested) a sufficient amount.

Health and Safety: The distance required to travel to most harvesting sites necessitates multi-day trips in remote and potentially dangerous conditions.