The Business of Botanicals: Exploring the Healing Promise of Plant Medicines in a Global Industry

by Ann Armbrecht

From tulsi to turmeric, echinacea to elderberry, medicinal herbs are big business—but do they deliver on their healing promise—to those who consume them, those who provide them, and the natural world?

“An eye-opener. . . . [Armbrecht] challenges ideas of what medicine can be, and how business practices can corrupt, and expand, our notions of plant-based healing.”—The Boston Globe

"So deeply honest, sincere, heartful, questioning, and brilliant. . . . [The Business of Botanicals] is an amazing book, that plunges in, and takes a deepening look at those places where people don’t often venture."—Rosemary Gladstar, author of Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs

"For those who loved Braiding Sweetgrass, this book is a perfect opportunity to go deeper into understanding the complex and co-evolutionary journey of plants and people." —Angela McElwee, former president and CEO of Gaia Herbs

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 are processed into the many products that fill store shelves. In The Business of Botanicals, author Ann Armbrecht follows their journey from seed to shelf, revealing the inner workings of a complicated industry, and 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. 

This 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 products they buy.

"Armbrecht masterfully manages the challenges and complexity of her source material . . . [She] is a spirited storyteller . . . [and] presents all this with the skill of an anthropologist and the heart of an herbalist."—Journal of the American Herbalists Guild

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 25, 2021

Reviews

[Tracy Lansdell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great ready, so well written and researched. I have found it to be an incredible source of inspiration and motivation at this point in my Naturopathic/Herbalism career. This book should be read by anyone who consumes a herbal medicine product that they have not grown themselves.
From those who are studying or practicing herbalism as a profession, to the regular herbal tea drinkers, to the consumers who occasionally dabble once a year with echinacea tablets for a cold - this book offers critical food for thought about the 'behind the scenes' story of how that herb ended up in our teapot, capsule or brown bottle.
In an exponentially expanding industry and consumer demand, we all have the responsibility to be cognizant of contributing towards a crisis point of unsustainable, unethical practices. Where were the herbs grown? Who picks them? Are they happy people or are they struggling to feed their families each day with poor pays? What's the ecosystem they're grown in? Are we contributing to the decline of biodiversity by supporting the picking of wild harvested herbs? This book exposes how this is already occurring and that a worldwide overhaul of the industry was needed yesterday! (no easy solution there)
From the beginning pages that ask you to ponder the importance of energy and intention when handling and growing herbs, to the very timely discussion about the sustainability of the herbal medicine industry - I knew this book was perfect for me and is a 5 star read. Thanks Anne.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulously researched and thoughtfully written by a highly qualified scholar and practitioner, a book about this subject was long overdue. I could not put it down, and it deepened my appreciation and understanding of traditional herbalism and its necessary intersection with growing consumer interest in botanical medicinals. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a cup of herbal tea, takes supplements derived from plants, and/or is interested in the growing business of botanicals.

[Alison]

The Business of Botanicals provides a fascinating, and at times, heart breaking, journey into the herbal products industry and is a must read for anyone working in the botanicals industry, or anyone who consumes products containing botanicals (which is a LOT of products!). As a professional working in the natural products industry, I found this booth extremely enlightening and insightful, forcing me to look critically at both my work in the industry, and my role as an herbal products consumer. The author poses some essential questions and I hope this book serves as a catalyst for more in-depth conversations about the choices we make as consumers, and as a business. Highly recommend!

[Angela]

I reviewed this book for the Ecological Landscape Alliance newsletter posted 3/15/2021.

[Willow Fortunoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann Armbrecht's book fills a critical gap in the discourse surrounding sustainable consumerism. While the web of herbal harvesters, producers and distributors has seemed incomprehensible to me in the past, Armbrecht's book untangles it with a dexterity that reveals her skill as a researcher and writer. By bridging the worlds of consumerism and herbalism, she emphasizes the need for a closer investigation and proposes new questions many hadn't previously considered. Her book is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand an industry that will continue to grow and would make an excellent addition to university curriculums.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you care about medicinal herbs, read this book. If you want to grow your own herbs, read this book. If you care about the future of food and herbs, read this book. If this book had been available just one year ago, I would have saved about 7 hours looking for market data for a project on medicinal herb sales internationally. This is the first book I know of that details the intricacies of these worldwide markets. Full of facts, heart, and green soul.

[Rosalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who buys medicinal plants!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is outstanding, engaging, and very thoroughly researched. I loved it and learned so much. If you work with plant-based anything, I highly recommend reading it. As a clinical herbalist, organic gardener (aspiring farmer) and sustainable herbalism teacher, I will be suggesting it to all of my students.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most important books on ethical sourcing of medicinal herbs. Anyone who purchases herbs for medicinal use must read this book.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a book club. I honestly was completely bored with it. It covers the seed to shelf journey of herbs. It would have been more interesting if I was not aware of a lot of the information inn the book. For anyone who buys herbs from the online bulk suppliers to the neighborhood health store ( they buy from the same bulk suppliers) this book will give you some idea of what questions to ask before purchasing.

[Nicole Nagaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough, thoughtful, informative look at the nuances of the industry and practice.