Climate Day at Expo West Ann Armbrecht, Taylor Clayton, Briana Buckles, Erin Douglas, and Nate Brennan at Climate Day. Scope 3 Working Group members not present: Marin Anastasov, Trent McCausland, and Zacharia Levine. It was a real honor to be invited to speak about the work that the Scope 3 Emissions SHP Working Group has been doing at Climate Day. Members of the Scope 3 Working Group include: Briana Buckles, Yogi Tea; Erin Douglas, Banyan Botanicals; Erin Smith, Banyan Botanicals; Marin Anastasov, Pukka Tea; Nate Brennan, Pacific Botanicals; Taylor Clayton, Traditional Medicinals; Trent Mc ..read more

Scale and Systems Change In the research paper, The Art of Scaling Deep, Tatiana Fraser, co-founder of The Systems Sanctuary, talks about scale and systems change.  Initiatives that focus on scaling up and scaling out are often considered the primary pathways to success, she writes. Part of their allure is that their impact is easy to measure. Yet, she argues, a focus on scaling up and scaling out allows us to ignore messy truths about growth. “Endless growth is not sustainable and our urgency to try to fix the problem and seek solutions may be part of the crisis we are in,” Fraser writes ..read more

by Ann Armbrecht, SHP Director I was thrilled to host this conversation with participants in the Sustainable Herbs Program Learning Lab and recent Learning Journey in Appalachia and to hear them share deeply about the impact that these experiences have had on their lives and their work. This work is at the heart of what I am trying to do at the Sustainable Herbs Program and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share this with others. I will be sharing highlights from the conversation soon. Our vision and intention for the Learning Journey was to experience  the interconnectedness of not ..read more

In this recent NutraPreneur podcast episode, Cultivating Ethical Roots: A Conversation with Ann Armbrecht from the Sustainable Herbs Program, SHP Director, Ann Armbrecht, describes the journey that led to the establishment of the Sustainable Herbs Program, unveiling pivotal experiences that fueled her dedication to promoting sustainable and ethical practices in the botanical industry. Ann discusses key initiatives that have influenced the industry’s approach to ethical sourcing and sustainability. She also explores how the program navigates complex challenges by facilitating multi-stakeholder ..read more

Insights from the SHP Learning Lab and Learning Journey There is a lot of talk about pre-competitive collaboration, but what does it really mean? And what does it really take for companies that typically compete to work together? Since the fall of 2021, the Sustainable Herbs Program Learning Lab has been using the tools of the Presencing Institute and awareness based systems change to ask: How can sourcing medicinal plants enhance the wellbeing and prosperity for people and plants around the world? How can we encourage our industry to remain rooted in respect for the plants, people, and the pl ..read more

The Sustainable Herbs Program Learning Journey by Ann Armbrecht, SHP Director In September 2023, the Sustainable Herbs Program convened the first SHP Learning Journey. For 3 ½ days, 22 stakeholders from the botanical industry explored the people, places, and plants that are central to the herb trade from Appalachia. Though based in Appalachia, the issues we explored: the challenges of wild harvesting, low prices for raw material, over harvesting, care for migrant farmworkers, care for the soil, are common in the herb trade as a whole. And so our goal in the Learning Journey was to approach the ..read more

A Conversation with Marc Allen, previous CEO of Herb Pharm, and Daniel Marple, current CEO, Herb Pharm by Ann Armbrecht, SHP Director Herb Industry at Pivotal Moment When we spoke in preparation for the webinar, Marc Allen said that it is a pivotal moment in the herb industry right now. Most of the founders of those 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 thi ..read more

Navigating Ownership and Leadership Transitions at Herb Pharm Change is inevitable in the business world. Companies evolve, grow, and sometimes change hands. But what happens to the essence and vision of a brand when it undergoes a transition in ownership and leadership? This is a question that plagues both loyal customers and passionate founders, especially when it comes to brands deeply rooted in a mission and commitment to quality, like Herb Pharm. In this SHP webinar, we will delve into the journey of Herb Pharm, a renowned herbal products company, as it transitioned from the hands of its ..read more

Highlights from Resilience in a Summer of Weather Extremes by  Ann Armbrecht, SHP Director I organized this webinar with Elizabeth Sawin and Amy Seidl to ask the questions that have been keeping me awake during this summer of fires and floods and heat waves: What can I do to make a difference? How can I not feel paralyzed? Where do I find courage? Who do we need to be now as people and as communities? Below are some of the key points I am taking away from our conversation. I encourage you to listen to the full recording since they make many more valuable points beyond those highlighted he ..read more

Free Sustainable Herbs Program Webinar August 17, 2-3 pm EDT Venue: Online Zoom Register here July 2023 has been a month of climate crisis around the world, raging wild fires, soaring heat waves, and devastating flooding. What can we learn from this moment to rebuild more resilient communities moving forward? In this webinar, Sustainable Herbs Program Director, Ann Armbrecht, will speak with Elizabeth Sawin, Biologist and Founder and Director of the Multisolving Institute, and Amy Seidl, Ecologist and Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studies at the University ..read more