The tribes living in Valais 10,000 years ago foraged for wild plants to provide them with food and medicine. They began to cultivate certain species about 7,500 years ago. Foraging has been practised around the globe since time immemorial as a way to gather staple foods and traditional remedies. It was commonplace among families in Valais right up to the middle of the 20th century. The plants collected or harvested were used for their nutritional, medicinal, cosmetic and ornamental properties and even in crafts and games.
This tradition reflects strong links with nature and is abundantly documented but little practised nowadays, with only the country and mountain folk, herbalists and professionals - first and foremost the Valplantes cooperative - sufficiently knowledgeable on foraging for and cultivating the right plants. A growing market has led to the species that are most in demand being farmed, providing a welcome supplementary income for mountain farmers. Harvesting is usually done by hand and is subject to legal restrictions (the Council of States issued its first decree regarding the protection of wild plants in 1936), and the lists of rare plants are continually updated.
