Ann Armbrecht on Inspiring Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing of Herbs and Botanicals

Mapping The Nutraceuticals World

Sustainability is a broad term that gets tossed around a lot these days in different contexts, to the point where it's not always clear what it means. A report released this year from Nielsen IQ and McKinsey showed that consumers are shifting their spending toward products with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) related claims.
To better understand how sustainability relates to the herb and botanical value chain, I recently talked with Ann Armbrecht, the Director of the Sustainable Herbs Program, which operates under the auspices of the American Botanical Council. The program recently updated its sustainability and regenerative practices toolkit, which is an expansive collection of resources that can help companies implement ecologically and socially responsible practices.
Armbrecht is an anthropologist, an herbalist, and an author whose books include The Business of Botanicals: Exploring the Healing Promise of Plant Medicines in a Global Industry, which raises questions about the ethical and ecological issues of mass production of medicines derived from plants, many of which are imperiled in the wild. She is also co-producer of the documentary Numen: The Healing Power of Plants and the author of the award-winning ethnographic memoir Thin Places: A Pilgrimage Home.
In connection with the toolkit, Armbrecht talked about quality, waste, regenerative agriculture, and collaborations within industry that are designed to meet common goals. As the Nielsen IQ and McKinsey report noted, the sheer size of the CPG sector, which includes the $60 billion dietary supplement industry, makes it a critical component in efforts to build a more sustainable and inclusive economy.

Resources & Links:
Sustainable Herbs Program
Sustainability and Regenerative Practices Toolkit

The Business of Botanicals by Ann Armbrecht
American Botanical Council
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