#42 Ann Armbrecht on the Herbal Supply Chain, Ethical Consumer Choices, and Remedies for a Healthier Planet

Pacific Rim College Radio

If you have every wondered where your herbal products come from and the authenticity of manufacturer claims, this episode is for you. Ann Armbrecht is author of The Business of Botanicals, in which she explores how our store-bought herbal medicines come to being. Through rigorous research and travel, Ann traces the often lengthy and meandering supply chain of herbal products that links earth to store shelf.

During this discussion, we explore her findings, including the ethics of business practice, the stories manufacturers often weave through their high-profile marketing teams, and the power that consumers wield via buying choices. We also discuss lessons Ann learned from writing her two previous books, and the journeys the newest one took her on.

Ann, who earned a PhD in anthropology from Harvard, is passionate about exploring the relationships between humans and the earth. In addition to writing, she presents her ideas as a documentary film producer and as the director of the Sustainable Herbs Program offered under the American Botanical Council.

Her fastidious work ultimately benefits everyone who is touched by herbal medicine: growers, producers, practitioners, patients, and the planet. The more broadly her work is known, the more each of us along the supply chain will be held accountable, including those at the endpoint, consumers. We can collectively demand better and raise industry standards with our choices.

Please enjoy this episode of Pacific Rim College Radio with Ann Armbrecht.

Episode Links:

AnnArmbrecht.com

Sustainable Herbs Program

The Business of Botanicals by Ann Armbrecht

Settlements of Hope by Ann Armbrecht

Thin Places: A Pilgrimage Home by Ann Armbrecht

Learning Links:

School of Western Herbal Medicine at PRC

Online Herbal Medicine courses at PRCOnline

Student Clinic at PRC