Sustainable Herbs Project Blog — All Posts

The Sustainable Herbs Initiative Learning Journey in Oregon explores how to create circles of healing in the herbal products industry.

An outline by the Sustainable Herbs Initiative for an introductory herb class on sustainability and the botanical industry.

Collaboration and heart were two themes at the 2024 Climate Day at Expo West.

Reflections from Sustainable Herbs Initiative Director Ann Armbrecht's 2022 trip following jatamansi to the source.

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...

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.

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

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...

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...

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?

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.

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...

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

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

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...

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

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...

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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?

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...

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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...

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.