At WishGarden, all our herbs are organic or wild-crafted. Today, most people are familiar with organic and how it differs from conventionally grown. But what is wildcrafting and why is it important?
Wildcrafting: an age-old tradition
Wildcrafting is a traditional term for harvesting plants from the wild. But as the name suggests, there is more to it than simply pulling plants out of the ground to use. The ‘craft’ part of ‘wildcrafting’ is key. As Ed Fletcher, 50-year veteran of wildcrafting and the spice industry, says, wildcrafting is all about knowledge.
To be a true wildcrafter, you need to hone your craft for years. It is this valuable knowledge that ensures companies like WishGarden, and you, receive precise, high-quality herbs, harvested at the right time of year, from a clean location and done in a sustainable way. This knowledge is often passed on from generation to generation.
Traditionally, wildcrafting was done to support the health and nutritional needs of a family, a community, or a small region. It’s done all over the world; wherever there are plants that people use, wildcrafting is done. But over time, wildcrafting has shifted from supporting primarily local needs to becoming an important part of a global industry.
According to TRAFFIC’s latest report, approximately 3,000 plant species are harvested from the wild and traded internationally. This includes many plants used as spices, aromatics, cosmetics and of course herbs for nutritional supplements. As the herbal industry has grown and more and more herbs are traded and imported worldwide, sustainability is becoming increasingly important. As a result, the knowledge and sustainability practices that go into traditional wildcrafting techniques are now more important than ever.
Is wildcrafting sustainable?
One of the biggest concerns regarding wildcrafting is sustainability. Is it really possible to harvest plants from the wild in a sustainable way? In short, yes. But the more important question is how many of the wild plants in your herbal supplements (or other products) are harvested in this sustainable way? The answer to that is more nuanced.
First let’s talk about wildcrafting in general, especially for personal use. I’ve seen many blogs and articles discussing how irresponsible it is for people to collect mushrooms and/or harvest their own herbs. Although well-intentioned, I wholeheartedly disagree. First of all, it is absolutely essential to make sure you know how to properly harvest an herb or mushroom. It’s not something you try randomly. There are many poisonous look-alikes, so make sure you feel comfortable identifying them before harvesting.
Second, it is essential to learn how to properly harvest the plant (and the plant part you will use) to ensure you do not harm the population. For some plants, such as dandelion, this is not a problem. You could harvest non-stop and you wouldn’t hurt the dandelion population. But for other non-weedy/abundant herbs, make sure you know when and how to harvest properly. If you know about wildcrafting, it can certainly be done in a sustainable way. In fact, many plants that have a long history of human use have evolved to depend on this crop to maintain healthy populations.**
And as any ethnobotanist will tell you, knowledge comes from use. If we stop sharing our natural resources, we will also lose the important knowledge that comes with it. Essentially, the craft will disappear from wildcrafting.
But the key is moderation, proper technique and population management methods. The herbal and natural industries have grown rapidly over the past twenty to thirty years and are now multi-billion dollar industries. Because the majority of herbs used in these industries still come from the wild, there are legitimate concerns about the sustainability of these resources and whether wild populations can cope with this ever-increasing demand.
Again, the answer to this is much more nuanced. There are many plants that are harvested from the wild, such as many of our weedy herbs, that can absolutely handle the increased demand. It also depends on the region the plants come from and the part of the plant used (roots vs. part of the plant that regenerates easily). It appears that most plants can meet demand if harvested properly using sustainable techniques. For others, especially those that take longer to grow and grow only in specific regions, sustainability is uncertain.
This requires more research to truly understand the sustainability of such an intensive harvest. In the meantime, until we have positive answers, it is up to companies to ensure they buy from wildcrafters who follow good harvesting and management practices that support the long-term sustainability of these plants.
Fortunately, the herbal industry is full of great companies that take this responsibility seriously. But as the natural industry continues to grow and herbs are now used in functional foods and beverages, not all companies are aware of the issues to look out for in their supply chain.
Wildcrafted herbs at WishGarden
Due to ever-increasing demand and valid concerns, we at WishGarden work hard to ensure that all our wild-grown herbs are sustainable. When WishGarden first started over 40 years ago, our formulas were made with primarily local, wild-grown herbs and our market was small. As we have grown over the years, this is one of the challenges we have faced: how to grow responsibly while still using many of our beloved local and wild herbs.
We don’t have all the answers, but we are constantly evaluating and working hard to be flexible and change as factories and industry demand that we ensure we only use sustainable herbs. This flexibility meant we had to make tough decisions when necessary. If certain herbs are seriously threatened, we do everything we can to stop using them. For example Osha (Ligusticum porteri) is a native Rocky Mountain plant that has always played an important role in our formulas. But as we have grown and industry knowledge of the health benefits of Osha has increased, concerns have arisen about its overuse, as it is currently only harvested from the wild in the Rocky Mountains. We’ve reformulated our best-selling Kick-Ass Immune and other formulas to use much less Osha to reduce pressure on this important plant. (Keep an eye out for an exciting announcement about Osha next month!)
In addition, we work directly or as directly as possible with those who wildcraft our herbs. This allows us to verify that our wildcrafters have the right knowledge to harvest sustainably. For example, for our yerba mansa we work together with a wildcrafter (Anemopsis californica) who has more than 25 years of experience in harvesting them. Like many long-career wildcrafters, managing the herb population they harvest is an essential part of their practice. This is good for sustainability, but it is also a good thing: it ensures that there is enough product to harvest for many years to come. As you can see in the photo below, in the background is a healthy population of those beautiful healthy roots that go into our products. We are now also working with an indigenous farm to grow yerba mansa for us.
As WishGarden continues to grow, we will continue to monitor the herbs in our formulas and how they fare in the wild. But we are just one company and as the herbal and natural industries continue to grow, so will the demand for wild herb populations. The answer to whether populations can withstand this question is highly plant and region specific, which further complicates the conversation. This is why WishGarden and many others in the industry are actively involved in addressing these questions and challenges to ensure a sustainable future for the herbs we depend on.
How you can help ensure the sustainability of wild herbs
Would you like to help protect our wild herbs? One of the best ways to help is by asking questions. We like it when people ask about our sources and how we verify sustainability. Don’t hesitate to ask other companies too. This lets them know it is important to you. Here are some other great ways to help:
Support United Plant Savers: This organization promotes the sustainability of wild medicinal plants in North America. We are proud to support their important work and invite you to help too.
Sustainable Herbs Program: this excellent program from the American Botanical Council has a wealth of information about sustainability in the herbal industry. I am a member of the advisory board and WishGarden is proud to support their work.
Search for the HonestWild logo: This certification is located outside Europe and is relatively new, especially for the North American market. FairWild certification promotes the sustainability of wild-harvested herbs while ensuring fair wages for collectors. At WishGarden we are actively using FairWild herbs in our products. So keep an eye on it! Consumer interest and demand help spread the message and make it more feasible for companies to participate. www.fairwild.org.
References
The invisible trade: in the times of Covid-19 and the essential journey to sustainability
**Much research has been done on this phenomenon in the world of ethnobotany, but there is more than can be covered in this blog. If you are interested in this area, I recommend starting with it Braid Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and from there you can dive into the more academic works on the subject.
Erin Smith has worked with plants for over 30 years and is a medical herbalist and ethnobotanist. Erin is the Director of Science, Sustainability and Education at WishGarden Herbs
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, or to sell any product.
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