Have you ever heard of or tried foraging for herbs or mushrooms? Perhaps you’ve noticed locally foraged ramps or mushrooms at the grocery store and assumed this was an activity for a select group of outdoor enthusiasts. This practice known as wildcrafting, wild harvesting, or wild collecting, has a long and rich tradition in many indigenous communities. It’s also a vital component of the food, supplement, and skincare industries, supplying a wide variety of wild plants for products found on store shelves.
Wild plants are exactly what they sound like—they grow naturally in various habitats such as forests, tundras, and meadows, all untouched by development. Unlike cultivated plants, which require planting, watering, fertilizing, and often extensive machinery, wild plants thrive without human intervention.
For example, goldenseal, black cohosh, and wild yam are typically harvested from remote areas in the Appalachian Mountains where they grow naturally. These plants often flourish in their native regions, where they have a long history of being harvested and utilized by indigenous communities for food and medicine. Beyond the Appalachian Mountains, in Bulgaria, there is a strong tradition of wild harvesting, with indigenous communities collecting nettles, raspberry leaf, and vitex (aka chaste tree berry).
At Gaia Herbs, we source approximately15% of our ingredients from wild sources each year. We are deeply aware that relying on wild plants can pose risks to delicate ecosystems and communities. Therefore, we are committed to sustainable and regenerative practices to ensure these wild plant communities continue to thrive for generations to come.
What is FairWild?
That’s why we're excited to support FairWild Week this week! FairWild is an organization dedicated to supporting wild harvesters globally. Like Fair Trade certifications, FairWild certifies harvesting areas and operations by evaluating various environmental and social factors. Their mission is to ensure the long-term survival of wild plants and species while enhancing the livelihoods of those who depend on them, such as wild harvesters. FairWild week is a celebration of the vital work being done to protect wild plant populations- a celebration we can get behind.
Why Does Gaia Care About FairWild?
Living in the mountains and harvesting wild plants all day might sound like a dreamy, even magical, existence. Last year, I had the opportunity to visit wild collectors in Appalachia and learn firsthand about their experiences. Deep in the mountains, collectors climb steep hillsides and use hand tools like pickaxes to dig for roots of plants like goldenseal and black cohosh. They work tirelessly in 90-degree heat, searching for these elusive plants—a task that is never guaranteed. It's a demanding job, not for the faint of heart, and seasoned wild collectors, many of whom have been doing this for generations, are quick to share this reality.
Even still, they continuously come back each season because they love it and feel an inherent connection to the land they steward and know so well. There is a deep-rooted tradition of wild plant harvesting in Appalachia and beyond, and this knowledge has been passed down through generations of wild collectors, shaping a unique cultural heritage tied to the land and its bounty.
As a mission-driven organization, it is our responsibility to ensure that the herbs used in our products are harvested responsibly and ethically. We strive to minimize our environmental impact and ensure fair treatment for the people involved in harvesting the ingredients used in our products. Our commitment to creating products that support people’s health goes hand in hand with caring for the wellbeing of the environment and the communities that supply our ingredients. Learn more our quality and sourcing efforts for our products.
Gaia Herbs’ Wildcrafting Approach
Our approach treats each plant and community uniquely. We aim to educate ourselves on challenges wild collectors face and support sustainable wild harvesting communities directly through trusted supplier partners. This direct engagement is the most effective and impactful way to source our ingredients.
For example, we collaborated with one of our top herbal suppliers in Appalachia to develop a local source for mimosa tree bark and Japanese knotweed, two ingredients historically sourced from Asia. Introduced to the U.S. as ornamental plants in the 1700s, these species have since outcompeted many native plants. In this case, over-harvesting is beneficial: it helps control their population and allows native plants to thrive without concerns about sustainability. Additionally, we worked with our supplier to ensure that the harvesters receive fair compensation for their efforts.
Unfortunately, not all plants are readily available in our backyard or abundant in supply like mimosa or Japanense knotweed. When we face uncertainty about the conditions of a plant’s harvest or encounter logistical challenges preventing site visits, we rely on organizations like FairWild. They engage directly with harvesting communities by visiting them, ensuring adherence to a rigorous set of standards and principles.
These standards guarantee sustainable collection rates that safeguard the long-term health of wild populations and minimize environmental impact. Fair Wild also prioritizes the protection of indigenous peoples' rights to manage collection areas, advocates for good working conditions, and fosters mutually beneficial business relationships that support harvesters and promote the procurement of quality material.
Which of Gaia Herbs’ Products use FairWild Ingredients?
In 2021, we began sourcing FairWild Licorice to support wild harvesters in the Zaragoza region of northern Spain. Given that Licorice requires up to four years to regenerate for subsequent harvests, responsible management of wild areas is essential to prevent overharvesting. Harvesters employ techniques such as leaving behind root pieces to facilitate regeneration, ensuring the sustainability of the region’s Licorice populations. Licorice can be found in our Reflux Relief, Adrenal Health Jump Start, and Liver Health, amongst other products.
In addition to our Licorice, we’re excited to announce that our Vitex/Chaste Tree Berry is now FairWild certified! Our Vitex berries are primarily wild-collected from remote Albanian hillsides in a certified organic collection area, which comes along with a rich history of indigenous communities harvesting medicinal plants. These will be heading into the production line in Q3 of 2024 and can be found in many of our women’s products, as well as our single-herb Vitex capsules.
Wild collectors sustainably harvest Vitex berries by ensuring they leave berries behind as a food source for wildlife and for regeneration. In 2023, our Global Sourcing team had the pleasure of visiting this collection area and experienced firsthand the magic of traditional medicinal herb harvesting in the region.
The wild collectors shared their passion and excitement for their work, emphasizing their deep connection to the land and the medicinal plants they harvest. The FairWild certification ensures that these dedicated wild collectors receive fair wages and proper training on sustainable harvesting practices.
Additionally, the FairWild funds directly contribute to local community development. In Albania, these funds have been used to rebuild a school and establish a healthcare clinic in a remote area.
What Else is Gaia Herbs Doing for Wildcrafting?
Goldenseal, one of the “Wild Dozen” herbs highlighted by TRAFFIC, a global organization ensuring trade in wild species is legal and sustainable, is a key ingredient used by Gaia Herbs. Despite its potential for cultivation, most goldenseal is still wild collected throughout the Appalachian region, particularly in remote areas of Kentucky and Tennessee. Hundreds of collectors gather small amounts of roots and bring them to traders equipped with the necessary cleaning and drying equipment to prepare these roots for market.
Our longtime partner, Michael Boring, of Boring Roots and Herbs, was eager to start cultivating goldenseal on his land. In addition to growing goldenseal, he offers workshops and training sessions for local collectors to learn about sustainable harvesting practices that promote the regeneration of goldenseal in the wild. This initiative supports the environment and helps ensure future availability of this valuable herb.
Challenges of Wildcrafting in Appalachia
One of the prominent challenges observed with wild crafting in the Appalachian region is the declining number of harvesters. As more land shifts to private ownership and relationships between harvesters and landowners weaken, fewer individuals are willing to endure the late summer heat to dig for roots. Goldenseal prices, which have been historically volatile, will likely increase with a diminishing wild collecting workforce.
While transitioning to cultivation may work in some cases, not all species thrive in cultivation due to biological constraints. Moreover, supporting wild collectors extends beyond ecosystem preservation; it encompasses the preservation of cultural and traditional knowledge passed down through generations of wild collector communities, one goldenseal harvest at a time.
Gaia Herbs seeks to raise awareness of the challenges faced by harvesters and aims to continue supporting communities of wild collectors through organizations like FairWild. Those who harvest sustainably ensure future populations of medicinal plants and preserve traditional ecological knowledge essential for environmental stewardship.
We envision the continuation of the wildcrafting tradition in the Appalachian region and beyond, provided it remains sustainable for wild plant populations, ecosystems, and wild collector communities.
At Gaia Herbs, ethical sourcing is our standard, prompting us to consider not only sustainable but regenerative practices. Our decisions should actively contribute to improving the environments where we operate, leaving them better than we found them, rather than merely maintaining them.