Sustainable Herbs Project Blog — All Posts

The power of scaling deep and systems change.

Systems Change and Scaling Deep

The Sustainable Herbs Program hosted the first Learning Journey in Appalachia, moving beyond extraction

Moving Beyond Extraction in Sourcing Botanicals

Listen to this conversation of participants in the recent SHP Learning Journey. They discuss how we are working to move beyond a human-centric model of competition and extraction to one where we all felt and experienced a sense of interconnectivity with the plants, the place, and others on the journey. As you can tell from the conversatio...

Cultivating Ethical Roots

Cultivating Ethical Roots

In this recent NutraPreneur podcast episode, Cultivating Ethical Roots: A Conversation with Ann Armbrecht from the Sustainable Herbs Program, Ann Armbrecht describes the journey that led to the establishment of the Sustainable Herbs Program.

Insights from Sustainable Herbs Program Learning Journey

Pre-competitive Collaboration in the Herb Industry

Join this free webinar to learn more about the pre-competitive collaboration led by the Sustainable Herbs Program.

Companies participating in the Sustainable Herbs Program Learning Journey

Learning Journey: Listening in Appalachia

In September 2023, the Sustainable Herbs Program hosted a Learning Journey for herbal industry leaders to Appalachia. We hoped to inspire change by listening to the voices we don’t always listen to: the people at the edges of the system, the places, and the plants. Beyond analytics and industry interests, we wanted to open our hearts an...

Protecting the Legacy of an Herb Company

Changing Ownership at Herb Pharm

Most of the founders of early herb companies will have to sell in the next 5-10 years. How and to whom these founders sell will determine the future of this segment of the natural products industry. Will plants and the values of herbalism still be part of the conversation? What are some key things to think about as these companies navigat...

Preserving the Herbal Essence: The Heart of Herb Pharm

Preserving the Herbal Legacy at Herb Pharm

Resilience in a Summer of Weather Extremes

Resilience: Strengthening the Web

What can we do now to invest in the institutions -- social, economic, ecological, and cultural -- that will get us through these crises now and in the future? How can we re-imagine these institutions so that they allow human and natural communities to thrive over the long term?

Resilience in a Summer of Weather Extremes A Conversation with Elizabeth Sawin Director, The Multisolving Institute & Amy Seidl Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studi es, University of Vermont

SHP Webinar on the Climate Crisis

What can we learn from a summer of raging wild fires, soaring heat waves, and devastating flooding to rebuild more resilient communities? Join us for this free Sustainable Herbs Program webinar on August 17, 2023.

How Fair is the Herbal Supply Chain?

How Fair is the Herbal Supply Chain?

Fair certifications are slowly gaining more momentum in the herb industry. Yet it can be difficult to know what difference those labels actually make, especially amidst accusations (often correct) that fair trade is still not translating into a living income for many workers. Read more about the ways fair trade makes a difference and what...

online conference

Online Conference: What Herbs to Buy?

An online conference to bring together experts on key topics that are important for anyone who uses herbs as medicine to understand.

What do you want to grow? Ashwagandha seeds

What Do You Want to Grow?

As a company, what are you trying to grow? Reflections on growth by Sustainable Herbs Program director, Ann Armbrecht.

Producer perspectives on certifications in the botanical industry

Producer Company Perspectives on Certifications

In Part 2, SHP Director Ann Armbrecht speaks with producers from India, Guatemala, Namibia, Nepal, and Zimbabwe. It isn’t often that producers from different regions of the world can speak with each other about their experiences and we are thrilled to be joined by Elisa Aragon, Gero Diekmann, Khilendra Gurung, Shamiso Mungwashu, and Nih...

Audit training for FairWild certification, Nature Connect, India.

Certifications as a Sustainability Tool for Sourcing Botanicals

Highlights from a Sustainable Herbs Program webinar on how certifications are innovating to meet changing circumstances in the botanical industry.

How many plants are cultivated

How Many Medicinal Plants are Cultivated?

In the Sustainable Herbs Program Webinar, “The Importance of Data in the Botanical Industry,” Josef Brinckmann and Wolfgang Kathe discuss the findings in their recent article, "A New Global Estimation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Species in Commercial Cultivation and Their Conservation Status." Below are some highlights and key poi...

Systems mapping with the Sustainable Herbs Program Learning Lab

Systems Change and the Herb Industry

In this second of two posts on the SHP Learning Lab, SHP Director Ann Armbrecht describes bringing the tools of the Presencing Institute to address sustainability challenges in the botanical industry.

Herb Companies Can Do More

Reflections by Sustainable Herbs Program Director, Ann Armbrecht, PhD documenting the medicinal plant trade in Nepal.

Wilson Lau Sourcing from China

Wilson Lau: Sourcing Herbs from China

In this SHP Webinar, Wison Lau, President of NuHerbs, talks about a wide ranging set of issues relating to sourcing herbs from China.

Personal Wellness in COVID

Planting Seeds of Wellness in COVID

Herbs mentioned for supporting during COVID in Dr. Tieraona Low Dog's Sustainable Herb Program Webinar "Planting Seeds of Wellness."

The Presencing Institute

Changing the System Begins with Listening

Some highlights from the creation of the Sustainable Herbs Program Learning Lab using the tools and practices of Theory U from the Presencing Institute.

Medicine of Place

Free Excerpt from The Business of Botanicals

What is the medicine of place? Read the introduction to Ann Armbrecht's award winning book, The Business of Botanicals, following medicinal plants from seed to shelf to find out.

Advocacy and the Botanical Industry

Advocacy and the Climate Crisis

Jane Franch of Numi Tea talks about Numi's climate plan and why it is critical that companies advocate against carbon emissions to address the climate emergency.

Consumers Prioritize Sustainability

Key takeaways from HerbalGram article, “Climate-Conscious Consumers Prioritize Sustainable Herbal Products,” by Karen Raterman.

Carbon Footprint of Tea

Measuring Carbon in the Herb Industry

In this webinar, Jane Franch of Numi Organic Tea and Kayalin Akens-Irby of Planet FWD discuss the importance of getting accurate data on carbon emissions as a foundation for taking action to reduce those emissions.

The Carbon Footprint of Tea

The Carbon Footprint of Numi Tea

What is the responsibility of botanical companies in addressing the climate impacts of their sourcing practices? Join us to speak with Numi Tea and Planet FWD to learn more.

What Your Food Ate

Soil Health: What Your Food Ate

Anne Biklé and David Montgomery’s books on soil health connect the dots between the health of the soil, the chemistry of the crops grown in that soil, and the health of our bodies. Read highlights from the SHP Webinar about their most recent book, What Your Food Ate.

Introducing the WildCheck report

Introducing the WildCheck Report

A joint SHP-TRAFFIC webinar to introduce the ground-breaking new report by TRAFFIC, FAO, and IUCN SSC Medicinal Plant Specialist Group, entitled WildCheck: Assessing risks and opportunities of trade in wild plant ingredients.

Women Leading Regeneration

Women Leading Regeneration Summit

Women Leading Regeneration gathers women leaders from around the world for a 2-day online summit. SHP Director Ann Armbrecht speaks with the event organizers about the vision and purpose of this event.

Reflections standing in the moonlight.

The Moonlight and Meeting the Day

Of all the many things we do and do not do each day, what are the things that might add up to something that matters? Given the turmoil in the world right now, given the demands calling from every direction for our attention, how do any of us know, really, what we can do that might make the difference that is needed?

Business of Botanicals

Traditional Medicinals Book Club

The Social Good team at Traditional Medicinals (TM) organized a 3-month book club to discuss the themes explored in SHP Director, Ann Armbrecht’s book, The Business of Botanicals: Exploring the Healing Promise of Plant Medicines in a Global Industry. Ann spoke with Hannah Scott, Impact Communications Manager at Traditional Medicinals Fo...

Herbal Reality

Herbal Reality: Sharing Herbal Medicine

A conversation with Sebastian Pole, co-founder of Pukka Herbs, and founder of Herbal Reality, a new online forum of herbal education based in the United Kingdom.

Rosemary Gladstar: Putting Plants at the Center

Rosemary Gladstar: Plants at the Center

A recording of Ann Armbrecht's recent conversation with herbalist Rosemary Gladstar for the Oakmont Sunday Symposium.

Turmeric root in market in Vietnamn

How Sourcing Botanicals Impacts Product Quality

Key highlights from "Sourcing Botanicals and Quality Control: a Conversation with Drs. Michael Heinrich and Anthony Booker" a webinar on the relationship between sourcing and finished herbal product quality.

Dutjahn Sandalwood Oil

Partnerships in Sourcing Australian Sandalwood

This SHP webinar explores the unique partnership of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils, a Western Australian based sandalwood oil distillation company backed by Dutkahn Custodians, Kutubbubba Aboriginal Corporation, and the founders of WA Sandalwood Plantations (WASP) in Australia.

The Invitation

An Invitation

Where do herbs come from? An invitation to follow medicinal plants to the source and discover the healing that that journey makes possible.

Podcast

Sustainable Herbs Program Podcast

Listen to the Sustainable Herbs Program webinars on audio! Find out about the new SHP podcast.

Costa Rica Regenerative Farm visit

Costa Rica Regenerative Farm Visit

Highlights from the SHP trip documenting regenerative farming practices on herb and spice farms in Costa Rica.

Side Effects of Certifications

Side Effects of Certification

What are the side effects of business? What are the less visible positive effects of certifications? Key points from the FairWild Week Webinar: 'Wild Plants are Our Business' co-hosted by Sustainable Herbs Program, TRAFFIC, and the FairWild Foundation.

Leadership and Mission

Leadership in Mission-Driven Companies

Key points about leadership and values in mission-driven companies from the SHP Toolkit webinar: Leadership and Mission: Creating a Culture of Sustainability and Regeneration. In conversation with Sebastian Pole and Tal Johnson.

How Fair is Fair Trade

How Fair is Fair Trade?

Select clips from the SHP webinar, co-hosted with the FairWild Foundation, on what makes fair trade fair and how certification helps.

Regenerative Farming on Family Owned Farms

Regenerative Farming on Family Owned Farms

Highlights from the SHP Toolkit webinar on regenerative farming practices on family owned botanical farms.

UEBT

Webinar Co-Hosted with UEBT

Highlights from the webinar, Herbal Tea Sourcing with Respect, co-hosted by the Sustainable Herbs Program and UEBT.

Living income

Living Income in the Botanical Industry

A Sustainable Herbs Program webinar exploring how the living income concept can help to address economic inequity in the botanical industry.

Are all cultivated herbs equal?

Are All Organic Herbs Equal?

When you read the word “organic” on any product, it’s a boost of confidence. It tells you that you’re not only buying one of the better options, but that you’re supporting a more sustainable system which puts quality over profit. But what if that wasn’t always true? The following is an excerpt from The Business of Botan...

Andrea Rommeler talks about what sustainability means and its importance in her work with raw material suppliers for the Martin Bauer Group.

What Does Sustainability Mean?

In this video and interview, Andrea Rommeler talks about what sustainability means and its importance in her work with raw material suppliers for the Martin Bauer Group.