Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Production and Use in Albania: Historic and Modern Effects on Trade Policy, Poverty & Culture

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) are raw materials exploited by humans for uses in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food additives and flavorings, etc. These resources are important agricultural products traded in vast quantities on the global market. This thesis focuses on the role that MAPs have played in Albania over time. First, as they were used for their inherent properties; secondly, as a valued source of state income under the communist system; and finally, as cultivated crops for individual landowners. The study begins with an ethnobotanical evaluation of MAPs species in Albania. I detail the transition from valuing MAPs for their innate benefits such as alleviating minor health maladies, spiritual and cultural rituals, and veterinary care, to valuing MAPs primarily for income, as influenced by the communist government. The second half of this thesis focuses on the exploitation of a particular MAPs species, sage (Salvia officinalis), as a cash crop. The transition from wild harvesting to cultivating MAPs stems from Europe's larger efforts to develop Albania's macro-economic standing and agro-processing sector. The study evaluates the impact of agricultural support policies on individual farmers through a Land Use System (LUS) analysis. I quantify returns to land and labor in a sage production system, accounting for differing agro-ecological conditions. The thesis concludes with a reflection on how agricultural development can help or seriously hinder vulnerable people in developing countries, especially when agricultural markets are distorted.