"There is this incredible philosophy around healing and wholeness and working with plants yet most people only experience it through products on a shelf."

Ann Ambrecht is a writer and anthropologist (PhD, Harvard 1995) whose work explores the relationships between humans and the earth, most recently through her work with plants, herbal medicine, and the botanical industry. She is the director of the Sustainable Herbs Program, a program of the American Botanical Council, which she began in 2016 to help bridge the gaps between the values of herbal medicine and the reality of sourcing and producing herbs on a global scale. She is the co-producer of the documentary Numen: the Nature of Plants, and author of the award-winning ethnographic memoir, Thin Places: A Pilgrimage Home, based on her research in Nepal. She is a student of herbal medicine and was a 2017 Fulbright-Nehru Scholar documenting the supply chain of medicinal plants in India. Her book, The Business of Botanicals: Exploring the Healing Promise of Plant Medicines in a Global Industry was published in February 2021.

In this episode, Ann discusses how the Sustainable Herbs Program wants to inspire a movement that supports high-quality herbal products, sustainable and ethical sourcing, and greater overall transparency in how herbs reach end-users.

Ann talks on:

• An introduction to herbalism - being exposed to the aliveness of the world and experiencing plants as living entities.
• Telling the story of herbalism to reach different audiences.
• What is currently happening in the herb industry – the negatives and positives. 
• What the industry can do to help bring about positive change. 
• What individuals can do to help – being conscious of brands and their values.
• Value of certifications and raising the bar for continued improvement in best practice.
• Building and supporting healthy communities - looking beyond the price of the botanical.
• Value chains and herb quality.
• Sustainable Herbs Program in the future.

Discover more from the Sustainable Herbs Program on the website at http://www.sustainableherbsprogram.com/

Find out more about Herbal Reality on Instagram @herbal.reality or visit www.herbalreality.com 

Herbcast is produced by Decibelle Creative: @decibelle_creative / www.decibellecreative.com