In Myanmar’s (Burma’s) remote forests, local collectors still harvest wild orchids for global markets, earning mere dollars for specimens that fetch hundreds abroad.
This extractive pattern persists across tropical orchid-rich nations, echoing European colonial exploitation.

Indigenous collectors, the true botanical experts, remain largely anonymous, their knowledge appropriated without credit while risking legal penalties and physical danger. They receive a fraction of the final market value, perpetuating cycles of poverty despite their irreplaceable expertise.

Emerging alternatives offer hope: community-led conservation projects, indigenous-owned nurseries, and scientific partnerships that honour local knowledge. These sustainable approaches aim to transform exploitation into equitable collaboration, rewriting orchids’ human story for future generations.