• Practitioner being attentive while writing medicine study notes at a desk in front of a laptop

Course overview

    1. 5 Questions To Always Ask About Herbal Supplements

    2. Course Description

    3. Learning Objectives

    1. The Journey of a Medicinal Herb From Soil to Shelf

    2. Knowledge Check # 1

    1. Botanical Sourcing Map

    2. 5 Pillars of Herbal Production

    3. The 5 Pillars of Herbal Production

    4. Knowledge Check # 2

    1. The Differences Between Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture

    2. Knowledge Check # 3

    1. Farm & Laboratory Operations

    2. Knowledge Check # 4

    1. Transparency vs. Traceability

    2. Gaia Herbs Meet Your Herbs

    3. Knowledge Check # 5

About this course

  • Free
  • 23 lessons
  • 1 hour course

Learning objectives

By the end of this mini-module, you will be able to:

  • Explore the journey of a medicinal herb from soil to shelf

  • Identify 5 pillars of herbal production

  • Identify types of herbal traditions

  • Understand the basis of expert formulation

  • Determine the difference between sustainable agriculture and regenerative agriculture

  • Identify benefits of combining farm operations with laboratory operations

  • Identify limitations of single source of materials

  • Identify the difference between transparency and traceability

  • Identify value of quality and ethical sourcing of herbs

  • Define traceability in terms of herbal product manufacturing

Your Instructor(s)

Ann Armbrecht

Ann Armbrecht, an anthropologist, is the director of the American Botanical Council’s Sustainable Herbs Program. She is the author of The Business of Botanicals: Exploring the Healing Promise of Plant Medicines in a Global Industry that documents her journey following herbs from seed to shelf. She is also the co-producer of the documentary Numen: The Nature of Plants and the author of the award-winning ethnographic memoir Thin Places: A Pilgrimage Home, based on her research in Nepal. Ann was a 2017 Fulbright-Nehru Scholar documenting the supply chain of medicinal plants in India and she lives with her family in central Vermont.