Better Botanicals

We can start by asking the same questions we do of our food purchases: how far away was it grown, was it cultivated organically or regeneratively, and do growers and workers receive fair compensation?

Certification: Product labels such as Certified Organic and Fairtrade can be helpful here, but you’ll learn more with a little inquiry.

Caitlin Vliet, owner of Bonobo Botanicals, offers this advice to consumers: “Get curious about the conservation status of and practices around the plants/products you’re interested in, especially if they’re trendy … or if they come from far away. Don’t be afraid to ask companies about their values and sourcing practices. You don’t have to look for perfection, but there should be openness and thought given to these topics.”

The wild side

Between 60 and 90 percent of medicinal and aromatic plants are wild harvested rather than cultivated, so questions about sustainability of gathering practices are key. Whether ecosystems can handle ongoing collection of plant material for the market is species- and context-dependent. Dandelion and nettle, for example, are hardy and widespread enough to remain unthreatened. American ginseng, on the other hand, is vulnerable to overcollection or poor harvesting habits.

Certification: Forest Grown Verified and FairWild logos are indicators that wild plant best practices have been followed.

The human side

Market demand for botanicals can be a double-edged sword—sometimes allowing responsible wildcrafters a viable income; other times incentivizing short-term gain at the expense of the land. There are whole communities on the other end of the remedies we purchase: growing or collecting them, processing or packaging them, or simply calling a botanical hot spot home.

Workers at the bottom of the supply chain tend to be from marginalized populations and can be exploited with low pay. On the other hand, millions of people derive their livelihood from wild plant collection and hold important traditional ecological knowledge, so if they’re employed to harvest sustainably it can be a win-win. This often comes down to having the support and mentorship of ethical botanical companies who take their sourcing seriously.

Your job made easier

Considering all of this before putting a supplement in your cart can understandably be a bit daunting. But a thoughtful botanical purveyor, like Vliet, may have already done the legwork for you.

“I spend time learning about the growing practices and sustainability of herbs that I want to work with. If they are at risk, or if there are concerns with ethics, I will choose an alternative,” says Vliet.

Similarly, a trusted retailer is likely to have staff who have vetted their suppliers so you don’t have to. As Amanda Rajsigl with Amaranth Whole Foods in Calgary says, “We strive to work with key partners in the natural industry that focus on sustainable and forward-thinking sourcing of each ingredient. For each new supplement listing, including botanicals, we have specific criteria that include how an ingredient is sourced.”

The big picture

We do have options. When we pursue health through natural supplements and botanicals, it makes sense to remember how much of our well-being comes from having intact natural spaces and functioning ecosystems and from the shared well-being of our fellow humans. The personal and the planetary—it’s all connected.