The interconnection of natural products with sustainable development

Objective: Explore the opportunities for natural products in furthering sustainability development.

Key question: What are potential tensions and trade-offs in pursuing sustainability in the natural product sector?

Sustainable use and management of natural resources are critical to achieving environmental, economic and social goals in the long term. The sustainable use of natural products is closely tied to ecosystem services. Plants and some organisms capture carbon. This, together with the contribution of biofuels to our portfolio of renewable energy sources, can help mitigate climate change in line with SD7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG13: Climate Action.

We have seen that natural products are dependent on biodiversity and ecosystem health and so they are interconnected with SDG14: Life Below Water and SDG15: Life on Land. Sustainable practices in forestry, agroforestry (the integration of trees and either crops or livestock on the same land) and the marine aim to promote biodiversity. Sustainable agriculture can protect soil health with reduced chemical inputs whilst also supporting biodiversity.

Natural products can provide alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Land usage must support habitats such as forests and wetlands that maintain clean water, regulate water cycles and filter pollutants in line with SDG6: Clean Water and Sanitation. Under the planetary boundaries framework, the boundaries for Climate Change, Biosphere Integrity, Land-System Change, Freshwater Change and Biogeochemical Flows are all transgressed, indicating unprecedented pressures on Earth’s systems.

Scientists have modelled that one of the most powerful means of combating climate change would be restoration of total global forest cover back to the levels of the late 20th century. This land system change would provide a substantial carbon sink but could create tensions with other climate change mitigation strategies such as the production of biomass as a replacement for fossil fuels.

Achieving economic and social goals in particular can conflict with environmental goals, putting additional pressure on planetary boundaries. Consideration of trade-offs is essential in sustainable development.

The move to a bio-based economy where industries derive value from biological resources is supporting research and innovation in natural products across sectors in line with SDG9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. Construction materials from readily available sources like hemp and bamboo that offer carbon capture in buildings are increasingly employed. These options are contributing to SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Offering alternatives to petroleum-based products and renewability when sustainably sourced, natural products help curb the pressure of human activities on the world’s natural resources contributing to SD12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Using natural products and natural product sources can have a lower environmental impact than synthetic alternatives. They can offer biodegradability and often comparably lower toxicity.

The total Earth system impact of the release of novel entities such as synthetic chemicals and microplastics is not fully understood but this planetary boundary is deemed transgressed.

Natural product production such as agriculture, forestry and aquaculture are central to local economies in rural areas. In many developing countries, many people rely on natural products for income. The natural product sector is growing and such products can provide a steady source of income and support local economic development contributing to SDG1: No Poverty and SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Ethical sourcing of natural products ensures that local communities benefit from natural products and receive a fair share of the economic value generated by these products in line with SDG10: Reduced Inequalities. SDG2: Zero Hunger and SDG3: Good Health and Well-being are directly supported by natural products in our food and medicine as well as cosmetics.

Natural products also have links with SDG4: Quality education. As we move into an increasingly biobased economy, education and knowledge sharing and skills transfer are key to identifying and embracing opportunities across sectors. Natural products are also associated with traditional knowledge that is passed from generation to generation. This knowledge may be related to sustainable practices or traditional medicine and it is imperative that we preserve this knowledge.

With applications in many industries and with links across many individual goals, natural products support SDG17: Partnerships for the Goals. With careful management, regulation and commitment to equity and conservation, the natural product sector can support sustainable development to meet our needs today while protecting our future.