What is Sustainable Herbal Medicine?

Because herbal products are made with plants, people often assume that these products are the more environmentally responsible choice, that they are better for people, plants, and the planet. Yet, that isn’t necessarily the case.

This class shares examples of good and bad practices in sourcing medicinal plants from around the world. I outline some of the key issues in responsibly sourcing botanicals and what the herb community can do to ensure that herbalism in fact reflects the key premise of ecological medicine: that we can’t be well until the planet is well.