Question

Describe the consumptive use value of biodiversity as food, drugs and medicines, fuel and fiber with suitable examples.

Answer 1

Consumptive Use Value: Many natural products are consumed at local level by human beings. But we neither sell nor buy these products. These products do not make direct contribution to the nation's economy. The value of these products is called consumptive use value of biodiversity.
(a) We pay for almost all the food we consume but we do not pay for the soil, water and air which play Important role in food production.
(b) Many naturally occurring herbs are used for their medicinal use by indigenous people. In most of the cases, people do not need to pay for using such plants. This also shows consumptive use value.
(c) Firewood is used by about 2.4 million people all over the world for cooking and heating. People who use firewood do not need to pay for that. Had they been using some other fuel they would have paid some money for that. This shows consumptive use value of firewood.
(d) In rural area, people often use naturally growing fibre plants for making ropes and other useful Items. They don't pay for the fibre. This shows consumptive use value of fibre.