ethnobotany

Study of the relationship between human beings and plants. It combines knowledge of botany, chemistry, and anthropology. Many pharmaceutical companies, universities, and government health agencies have contracted ethnobotanists to conduct research among indigenous peoples, especially in the Amazon, to discover the traditional use of medicinal plants which can lead to the development of new drugs.

Ethnobotanical research is a cheaper way to develop new drugs than random testing of plants. The world's plant species, some of which may contain potential cures for diseases, are rapidly vanishing and there is a rush to learn as much as possible about indigenous plant-use before they disappear. Because the potential for profit exists upon discovery of an active plant compound, and due to the historical appropriation of indigenous resources, there has also been much discussion about the ethics of ethnobotanical research. For many indigenous peoples, the plants are considered sacred and their use is often religious in nature and unrelated to their active properties. Attempts have also been made to protect indigenous knowledge of plants as intellectual property and to compensate the people for revealing their knowledge.