Rethinking Permits and Access in the Honeybush Industry: The inclusion of marginalized communities into the honeybush industry

Abstract

The honeybush Cyclopia spp. industry, endemic in the high biodiverse Cape Floristic Region of South Africa and the fynbos biome, has witnessed international demand while continuing to affect inclusivity to the local wild-harvesters who play a key role and help to sustain its supply chain. Despite policy attempts to foster inclusion in this bioprospecting industry, communities which many of them have been historically disadvantaged but hold the traditional knowledge of the plant, remain structurally excluded from meaningful participation in the industry. This thesis investigates how the current permitting system needed for wild honeybush harvesting, affects accessibility and inclusivity for wild-harvesters in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces in South Africa. By using a qualitative document analysis supported by a structured coding framework, the research aims to unpack administrative inconsistencies, potential barriers to access, and structural inequalities embedded in the current permitting system. Findings reveal that procedural complexity, lack of transparency, and fragmented legislation might affect equitable participation, particularly for small-scale actors. By critically analysing these challenges through the lens of environmental justice and procedural equity, this research proposes concrete adjustments and steps that could potentially improve the permitting system. These include harmonizing provincial regulations, enhancing access to information, and embedding benefit-sharing mechanisms aligned with international standards such as the Nagoya Protocol. In this regard, special attention is put into the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) frameworks which has not yet been implemented in the honeybush sector, but if well implemented might potentially lead to a strategic opportunity to align conservation, community autonomy and empowerment. Ultimately, this study contributes to ongoing efforts to reimagine the permitting landscape as a tool for ecological sustainability and social redress in post-apartheid South Africa.