Artificial Chinese Cordyceps Threaten Tibet’s Traditional Market, Livelihoods

A Chinese woman is trying to sell what she claims to be genuine Tibetan cordyceps from Nagchu, Tibet online.

DHARAMSALA, 22 Oct: A growing crisis has been unfolding on the Tibetan Plateau, with the flooding of artificial cordyceps fungi, locally known as Yartsa Gunbu (summer grass, winter worm), from China severely impacting the livelihoods of Tibetan communities. According to various local media reports and commentaries online, this synthetic version of the precious medicinal fungus from China has been causing significant disruption to the traditional cordyceps market in Tibet and the lives of Tibetan households who depend on it.

While Chinese companies had been experimenting with cultivating artificial cordyceps in some places in Tibet for several years, it wasn’t until about three years ago that these products began aggressively entering the market. Initially, when only a few major Chinese enterprises were involved in production, they maintained prices comparable to natural cordyceps, minimising market disruption. However, the situation has changed dramatically.

Today, an estimated 200-300 Chinese companies selling artificial cordyceps in the market have driven prices to unprecedented lows. Whilst the natural harvest of the prized caterpillar fungus typically sells for 90,000 to 100,000 yuan per kilogram, the artificial version is being marketed for just 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. These companies aren’t just undercutting prices – they’re actively misleading consumers by marketing their products as authentic Tibetan cordyceps. Though produced by Chinese companies, some packages of the artificial fungus products carry fake labels claiming they have been sourced from premium cordyceps regions in Tibet like Nagchu, making it difficult for inexperienced buyers to distinguish the difference.

Despite the formation of a “Lhasa Tibetan Cordyceps Association,” local Tibetans report that the organisation has done little beyond making verbal promises. In April, authorities in Qinghai province issued warnings about the artificial cordyceps being an invasive species, threatening legal action against unauthorised cultivation. However, these warnings have had little practical effect.

The association even offered 2,000 yuan rewards for reporting fraudulent sales, but local Tibetans say that the provided contact numbers are fake, and no actual steps were taken.

Though the 27 September meeting in Xiling brought together deputy party secretaries from five provinces and cordyceps association executives, observers note that the meeting focused on general topics like cordyceps benefits and environmental protection whilst completely avoiding the critical issue of market fraud. Local Tibetans say that the discussions failed to address the urgent need for legal intervention to protect the authentic cordyceps market.

The artificial cordyceps producers claim they’re helping preserve natural cordyceps, which they say is nearing extinction. When some private Tibetan traders attempted legal action in China, highlighting how the price collapse was harming their communities, they were asked to provide individual proof of damages from all 70,000 affected people – an impossible ask that effectively blocked any legal remedy.

The crisis has left many Tibetans unable to sell their natural cordyceps at sustainable prices, forcing difficult choices between selling at a loss or facing severe financial hardship. Whilst the artificial product lacks the potency and flavour of natural cordyceps, it continues to evolve, making it all the more difficult to differentiate, easily deceiving inexperienced consumers.

The situation is particularly devastating because cordyceps harvesting has become a crucial source of income for many Tibetan households, especially following China’s forced-urbanisation and resettlement policies that have displaced nomadic families from their traditional pastoralist lifestyles. These displaced communities often return to their native areas during cordyceps season but now face a market severely undermined by artificial alternatives.

Combined with climate change’s impacts on natural cordyceps growth, the flood of artificial products has created a perfect storm that threatens both the economic survival of Tibetan communities and the future of this traditional trade.

Yartsa Gunbu, Ophiocordyceps sinensis (scientific name), has been used in Chinese and Tibetan traditional medicine for centuries to treat various ailments including heart, liver, and lung problems, as well as asthma. It is also believed to boost libido, which has earned it the nickname ‘Himalayan Viagra.’ The highly valued medicinal fungus can be consumed directly, added to food or liquids, or ground up for use in traditional medicine production.

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