Our mission at the World Bank is to build a world without poverty.
Truth is, there's never going to be a world without poverty in a world without nature.
That's why every year we're so proud to celebrate World Wildlife Day.
And that's why countries, communities, and companies, all of whom we work with, also celebrate World Wildlife Day.
Because this is a jobs agenda.
Wildlife is about jobs.
Let's just talk about plants, since that's our theme this week, this year.
Let's talk about the 500 million smallholder family farms with less than two hectares of land, for whom their income is supplemented by up to a quarter for medicinal plants, from using non-timber forest products.
In places like Nepal, 48% of those smallholder farmers depend on forest and non-timber forest products as a social safety net.
This isn't just about income, this is about where they go when things get hard.
But it's not just small communities.
It's not just small farmers.
It's the small farmers who contribute to big business because plants are big business.
Most of us have heard of the amazing Brazilian company, Natura.
In 2023, it had gross revenues of over five and a half billion dollars, all built on non-timber forest products, sustainably harvested by communities, making this company big profits in the cosmetics and fragrance business.
This is the value of plants.
Medicinal plants, the trade annually, over $4 billion.
Cactus alone, one type of plant, commercial value over $5 billion a year.
That's why plants matter.
That's why when it comes to our bottom line, which is getting people out of poverty, at the World Bank Group, we desperately care about plants.
We desperately care about wildlife.
So do the communities, companies, and countries we work with.
That means as much as plants matter, the legal trade in plants matters, and making sure the benefits are shared with those communities who are managing those plants.
Happy World Wildlife Day.