Impact
It is part of our mission to preserve ethnobotanical knowledge and habitats. Preservation and reciprocity with traditional knowledge holders is at the heart of Kanna Health’s DNA.
Kanna Health inaugurated its impact work with the signature of a benefit-sharing agreement with the South African San Council (SASC) in accordance with the Nagoya Protocol.
We have voluntarily entered into this agreement to ensure that a fair and equitable benefit is shared from utilization of indigenous knowledge and the plant resource, and to ensure that the beneficiaries and South African authorities are informed of our activities from the outset. The benefit-sharing agreement recognises the San hunter-gatherers as the primary knowledge holders in relation to the medicinal use of kanna. It also recognises the Paulshoek/Nourivier communities and includes regular payments to both communities.
Kanna Health is grateful for the San Council’s support, and we hope to maintain and strengthen this close relationship even further with time.
"This best-practice agreement stands as an example of how a benefit-sharing agreement can be concluded with local communities by the biotech industry that utilises indigenous plant use knowledge as a departure point for pharmaceutical drug discovery and development. Transferable key elements of the negotiations leading to this benefit-sharing agreement include the existence of historical records of plant use, a recognised body representing the beneficiary community, mutual good faith, transparency and trust, frank and open dialogue, and experienced independent legal counsel engaged by the beneficiaries."
Dr Nigel Gericke, Senior Advisor and Founding CSO
Not just words.
Kanna Health aims to raise awareness about the therapeutic areas we tackle and participate in volunteering initiatives focused on education, knowledge preservation or environment. We are determined to make a difference not only through our development programmes, but also our actions.
Our first volunteering initiative as a team took place on November 2022 in London. We teamed up with PangeACT to take part in the Chase the Moon 5/10km charity run in Battersea Park to raise funds in support of the Movember foundation, the leading charity changing the face of men's health.