zzzThe Business of Botanicals

A fascinating and provocative investigation into the global business of herbal products - asking whether it delivers on its healing promise to consumers, suppliers, and the environment.

Using herbal medicines to heal the body is an ancient practice, but in the twenty-first century, it is also a worldwide industry. Yet most consumers know very little about where those herbs come from and how they processed into the many products that fill store shelves. Author Ann Armbrecht reveals the inner workings of a complicated industry, including how herbs are sourced and handled at factory scale, and she raises questions about the ethical and ecological issues of mass production of medicines derived from these healing plants, many of which are imperiled in the wild. 

The Business of Botanicals: Exploring the Healing Promise of Plant Medicines in a Global Industry is the first book to explore the interconnected web of the global herb industry and its many stakeholders, and is an invaluable resource for conscious consumers who want to better understand the social and environmental impacts of the product they buy.

SKU #7651. Copyright 2020, hardcover, 278 pages.

About the Author:

Ann Armbrecht is the director of the Sustainable Herbs Program under the auspices of the American Botanical Council. She is also a writer and anthropologist (PhD, Harvard 1995) whose work explores the relationships between humans and the earth, most recently through her work with plants and plant medicine. She is the co-producer of the documentary Numen: The Nature of Plants and author of Thin Places: A Pilgrimage Home. She lives with her family in central Vermont. 

Praise of The Business of Botanicals

“The Business of Botanicals is a unique and valuable resource on the exceptional challenges to creating ethical, ecological, and fair herbal products, written from the perspective of a thoughtful expert.” —Ryan Zinn, Regenerative Projects Manager, Dr. Bronner’s

“Ann Armbrecht’s engaging book provides perceptive and important insights into what is too often an invisible trade despite its immense importance to the livelihoods, traditions, and interests of a great many people around the world.” —Steven Broad, executive director of TRAFFIC and member of the Board of the FairWild Foundation

“The Business of Botanicals is a thoroughly engaging, must-read book for all herbalists, herbal medicine makers, herb growers, and anyone who turns to herbs for their health. I was immediately drawn into the story of botanical medicines and the complexities within each bottle of herbal tincture on store shelves.” —Rosalee de la Forêt, herbalist and author of Alchemy of Herbs, coauthor of Wild Remedies