After 42 years of international trade in wild harvested medicinal bark from Africa and Madagascar, the example of Prunus africana holds several lessons for both policy and practice in forestry, conservation and rural development. For the CITES COP in Johannesburg, 24 September to 5 October, Team Leader Sustainable Landscapes and Food Systems at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) explains challenges to ensure sustainable supply of Prunus africana. This research forms part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA).