ABSTRACT
Mankind has, since ancient times, used nature in the search for food and bioactive organisms for use as poisons or to treat different diseases. The base for this are photosynthetic organisms on land and in the sea that have the capacity to, together with water and sunlight, capture carbon dioxide and use their enzymatic machinery to produce organic compounds. Change in the global climate has been predicted to affect the future society in different ways. Destruction of rain forests and pollution of the oceans are serious threats against the ecosystem and the access and sustainable use of natural resources both as food and future discovery of bioactive compounds. The most important source for such compounds has been medicinal plants. Today, their existence is threatened due to destruction of their natural habitat, but also because of the pressure on living space for speci˜c ethnic groups and their traditional knowledge of how to use nature in their environment. However, a global awareness of biodiversity and the rights for speci˜c ethnic groups have resulted in several international conventions with the purpose of protecting their natural resources but also to create new possibilities for the development of knowledge-based bioeconomy and ecosystem services in developing countries. It is an increased global interest to develop renewable natural products for industrial production and at the same time meet the demand for conserving biodiversity.
