Himalayan Oregano Oil against MRSA

“Himalayan Oregano Oil against MRSA” is a partnership project that has multiple aims; the first is to provide employment to herb collectors in remote parts of the Western Himalaya through the sustainable collection of wild oregano (Origanum vulgare), the second is to promote the use of Himalayan oregano essential oil as an antimicrobial agent to prevent spread of hospital acquired infections, including MRSA

The partners include Biolaya Organics, Jagriti (a local NGO), G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (a local government research intitute), SGS India (testing company) and the University of West of England (research and business development).

The Western Himalayan region is known for its diversity of rare and valuable medicinal herbs. Many of the most valuable of these herbs have become threatened due to over-exploitation in the wild in order to meet the increasing demands of the herb industry as well as the livelihood requirements of local herb collectors. It is within this context that the oregano oil project has been developed; oregano is a herb that is currently not collected nor perceived to have any market value, yet it exists in abundance, can easily be harvested sustainably and its essential oil has very promising market potential. By adding value to the oregano and developing appropriate market linkages we aim to enable the herb collectors to generate a sustainable source of income by collecting oregano, thereby reducing their dependency on the collection of threatened herb species and contributing towards the conservation of rare and valuable herbs in their natural habitat.

The recognition of Himalayan oregano oil as a potentially important means of combating MRSA provides a great opportunity to link the development of antimicrobial oregano oil products with supporting sustainable livelihoods in the Himalaya and contributing towards the conservation of endangered medicinal herb species. To take these seemingly unrelated problems and turn them into opportunities to help each other is a great example of how global partnerships can be created for the benefit of the greater whole.