The Challenge: Sustainability and supply

Key question: What could be the unintended consequences of overharvesting of a natural resource?

When materials are from a natural source, sustainable supply is dependent on the resilience of the source to yield supplies to meet demand.

Overharvesting can deplete a resource to a point where ability to replenish is compromised. This can be an issue for terrestrial and marine species, particularly when wild-harvested.

The case of Atlantic cod in the North Atlantic Ocean is an example of how high consumer demand led to overfishing and ultimately collapse of the Atlantic cod population in the early 1990s. Further consequences of this overharvesting were disruption of the marine ecosystem and huge economic impact on communities dependent on cod fishing.

Supporting recovery of the cod population is an ongoing challenge and the population struggles to recover. Implementing catch quotas and scientific monitoring of the fish population are important components of sustainable fishing practices to ensure long term viability of the Atlantic cod population. Marine Protected Areas, where harvesting is restricted or prohibited, also have an important role in developing sustainable industry in the marine.

Meeting the challenge of sustainable supply in the pharmaceutical industry – the case study of Paclitaxel

Overcoming challenges in sustainable supply was critical to the development of the chemotherapy drug, Paclitaxel. Paclitaxel is used to treat several types of cancers. It was originally discovered in a bark extract of the Pacific yew tree, Taxus brevifolia. The Pacific yew is a slow-growing tree and the bark of multiple trees would be required in order to extract enough paclitaxel to treat a single patient. Extensive harvesting would lead to detrimental depletion of the Pacific yew population and would not be able to meet global demand for the drug.

Luckily, solutions have been found for sustainable production of paclitaxel:

• Semi-synthesis – A semi-synthetic method was developed to produce paclitaxel which involved synthesising the drug from a starting material found in the needles of the European yew tree, Taxus baccata. This species of yew was more abundant and the needles were a renewable source of the starting material.
• Cell culture technology – Paclitaxel can also be produced by plant cell fermentation. Plant cell cultures of the yew tree are grown in bioreactors, allowing controlled production of paclitaxel and removing the need for a tree source completely.
• Genetic engineering – Advances in genetic engineering have allowed scientists to genetically modify other organisms such as bacteria and other plant cells to produce paclitaxel in culture.

These innovations secured a sustainable supply of paclitaxel allowing development from the laboratory to the clinic and commercialisation and also protected the Pacific yew population from exploitation. Since its approval, over 1 million patients have received treatment with Taxol®, a brand of paclitaxel.

Consistency of composition is critical to sustainable supply – the challenge of variability of starting material

The composition of natural products can be very complex and can vary under the influence of many factors. This makes standardisation difficult for natural products. Producers utilising natural starting materials require consistency in the starting material for their processes, in addition to sustainable supply.

In the USA, corn is a key feedstock for the production of bioethanol. The process of converting corn into bioethanol involves fermentation of the sugars in the corn. The yield and efficiency of the conversion is dependent on the starch, sugar and moisture content of the corn.

The starch and sugar content can vary depending on the variety of the corn and growing conditions. These factors can be controlled through standardisation of cultivation and harvesting conditions and selection of a corn variety with desirable traits. Post-harvesting, the corn is dried to a consistent moisture content before milling for fermentation.

Knowledge of influencing variables allows provision of a consistent and desirable starting feedstock for the fermentation process. Optimisation of process conditions and identification of any adjustments needed by in process monitoring as fermentation proceeds ensure a reliable production of quality bioethanol.

Additional Resource: The Sustainable Herbs Program Toolkit Webinar series

The Sustainable Herbs Initiative supports high quality herbal products, sustainable and ethical sourcing and greater overall transparency in how herbs reach end users. With the American Botanical Council, the Initiative provides a Sustainable Herbs Program Toolkit Webinar series.

Access these webinars here.

Some of the webinar titles available include:

• Certifications & Sustainability: Perspectives from Producers. A conversation with Elisa Aragon, Nelixia, Guatemala; Gero Diekmann, EcoSo Dynamics, Namibiа; Khilendra Gurung, Himalayan Bio Trade, Nepal; Shamiso Mungwashu, Fairtrade Support Network, Zimbabwe; Nihal Singh, Pavitramenthe Fair Organic, India
• Certifications as a tool for sustainable sourcing in the Botanical Industry. A conversation with Rik Kutsch Lojenga, Executive Director, UEBT; Krista Pineau, Certification Manager, Ecocert; Deborah Vorhies, CEO, FairWild Foundation; and Joshua Wickerham, ISEAL
• What do we know about herb production and why does it matter?
• Sourcing medicinal plants in Nepal: A conversation with Ann Armbrecht
• Three generations of sourcing botanicals from China: Conversation with Wilson Lau, President of NuHerbs
• Partnerships in Supporting botanical supply networks: A conversation with Christine Woda and Roberto Duerte Preuss
• The Carbon Footprint of Tea: A conversation with Jane Franch, Numi Organic Tea, and Kayalin Akens-Irby, Chief of Staff Planet FWD
• Agroforestry for medicinal and aromatic plants in India: A conversation with Arko Chatterjee Founder and CEO of NaturaYuva
• What your food ate: How to heal our land and reclaim our health. A conversation with David R Montgomery and Anne Biklé
• Introducing the WildCheck report: Assessing risk and opportunities of trade in wild plant ingredients. Featuring a case study in frankincense.
• Sourcing botanicals and quality control: A conversation with Michael Heinrich and Anthony Booker
• Equity and Wild-harvested plants: Building mutually beneficial partnerships
• Partnerships in sourcing Australian sandalwood: Dutjahn sandalwood oils. In conversation with Clinton Farmer and Keith Drage
• Certifications as a path to sustainability? A conversation about the opportunities and limits of certification.
• Caring for the whole ecosystem: Regenerative practices on family-owned farms.
• Regenerative farming on corporate-owned farms: Trout Lake, Aboca, and standard process farm
• Botanical supply sustainability in the time of covid: a conversation with Loren Israelsen, Angela McElwee and Ajay Patel
• Herbal Tea sourcing with respect
• Covid and the botanical industry: Perspectives from the field
• Three paths to regenerative farming in the botanical industry: Gaia herbs, herb pharm, and megafood
• Leadership and mission: Creating a culture of sustainability and regeneration. With pukka herbs Co-founder Sebastian Pole and HerbPharm CEO Tal Johnson
• The business case for sustainability: A conversation with Andrea Zangara and Brian Zapp
• Wellness in the time of COVID: A conversation with Dr Tieraona Low Dog