Skip to content
Fast & Free Delivery over $45 How fast will I receive my order? ZIP Code: - Receive it More Info

For the Love of Pandas: Setting New Standards in Sustainability

6 Min Read
Pandas
Updated on January 31, 2019

In October of 2018, Traditional Medicinals (TM) was honored by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF-China) and the Chinese government for helping to establish standards for the world’s first panda-friendly certification, a journey that began in 2008 in southern China, source of the wild southern schisandra berry. While our herbs with organic and FairWild® certifications attest to care for the well-being of our herb communities around the world and their surrounding ecosystems, this is the first certification to consider the long-term survival of the giant panda bear of southern China, and TM is the first company to sell a product bearing the panda-friendly logo. We are proud to share this groundbreaking achievement.

Much credit is due to the integrity and uncompromising standards of TM’s Research Fellow, Josef Brinckmann, a legend in the botanical world. His commitment to fulfilling our sustainable mission by considering our impact on every stakeholder in our supply chain—not just people and plants—has not only raised our own standards, but also those of the entire botanical industry. In 2004, Josef and his team began searching for additional sources of sustainable schisandra for our EveryDay Detox® tea. Little did we know that 15 years later, our search would result in the establishment of a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) cooperative operating in the giant panda habitat areas with the support of WWF-China, and an invitation to participate in the development of standards for the world’s first panda-friendly certification.

Josef Brinkmann

Schisandra & the giant panda bear

Of the 22 species of wild schisandra on the planet, Traditional Medicinals uses both “northern” (Schisandra chinensis) and “southern” (Schisandra sphenanthera) berries for our EveryDay Detox® tea. Both are considered superfruits that help balance the body’s vital energy, support the liver, and adapt to stress.* Schisandra’s red berries grow in clusters on vines that wind their way up host trees in search of the sun, often in some of the world’s most biodiverse hotspots. Up until 2008, we were using only the northern species but were looking for more to make our tea, due to supply chain interruptions in Northeastern China and in the Russian Far East. At that time, WWF-China invited TM to visit a project site of the EU-China Biodiveristy Programme (ECBP), where southern schisandra was a target species for sustainable development in the giant panda habitat.

 

 

schisandra berries in hand

 

schisandra berries on vine

Schisandra sphenanthera grows in lush, mountainous, and biodiverse forests of Southwestern China, a region historically important for wild collection of herbs used in TCM. Prior to the panda-friendly schisandra project, many wild collectors harvested schisandra berries in the quickest way possible, by pulling entire vines down to the ground and breaking branches, compromising vine regeneration of this precious medicinal plant. Harvest practices between households were often not uniform. While some collectors harvested mature berries, some might harvest green berries, scald them in hot water and dry them in the sun to give them the appearance of the desired red berries.

Southern schisandra berries share habitat with the giant panda bear, especially in Pingwu County, which has the highest density of wild pandas. Pandas live on a diet primarily of bamboo and rely on a balanced ecosystem to feed and breed, making them particularly vulnerable in zones where human access and use of forest resources is not managed carefully. Climate change may also play a role in reducing the panda population and is projected to further reduce its bamboo habitat by a third over the next 80 years. The good news is that the 2014 panda survey upgraded their status from “endangered” to “vulnerable,” due to population growth of nearly 17% since the 2004 survey. With that said, there are still only 1,864 panda bears living in the wild, meaning protection of panda ecosystems is still critical.

Using sustainable harvesting practices protects the biodiversity of the region, allowing both schisandra berries and pandas to thrive. But getting our suppliers, their partners, and the collectors to meet our high quality and sustainability standards would require a herculean effort, above and beyond what most companies are willing to invest to ensure their sourcing.

A multi-disciplinary partnership introduces sustainable wild collection to Pingwu

China is the world’s largest user and exporter of medicinal plants, most of which are collected from the wild. Even though FairWild® and organic standards for sustainable wild collection informed the project at the start, it became clear that an additional wildlife-friendly standard would need to be established, and new incentives given to collectors if the pandas were to be protected and the schisandra supply secure for generations.

schisandra berries in basket

Tapping into the plant and sustainability community, WWF-China assembled a team of experts specializing in panda biology and habitat, conservation, Traditional Chinese Medicine, ethnoecology, medical botany, sustainability and international trade to gather data into an official study. Their pilot project in the village of Daping determined the feasibility of a large-scale sustainability initiative and eventually led to the formation of Pingwu Shuijing TCM Cooperative, allowing them to train collectors from 22 villages in sustainable harvesting practices. Thanks to these efforts, the coop achieved organic certification in 2011.

If their project was to take hold in one region in China, it would need more widespread support from the Chinese government. While advising the project for TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring group, Josef assisted in developing a sustainable schisandra wild harvesting protocol, and he encouraged TM to support the project. Positive results of the five-year EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP), from 2007-2011, included the first certified organic wildcrafted southern schisandra in 2011, as well as the eventual authorization of the FairWild Standard  in China. But while protection of the environment, the introduction of sustainable collection practices, and the incorporation of fair trade for collectors were all top of mind, the study also proved that additional standards would be needed to address the sensitivity of the panda population—a factor not yet considered for wild collection operations in China, where the giant panda is the country’s most recognizable symbol of good will. 

Panda climbing tree

A bright new future for China’s giant pandas

By 2009, the ECBP project for sustainable schisandra had proven feasible in one pilot village. Newly written guides and handbooks specified a new process for sustainable schisandra harvesting, mandating that collectors leave vines standing, climb host trees and use grape shears to carefully snip off berry clusters from only the lower two-thirds of the vine. The top thirds were now to be left for other animals to eat, so they can help with seed dispersal for plant regeneration. In addition, by 2011, WWF-China invited TM to participate in the development of the needed Giant Panda Friendly Products Standard. At the end of the EU-funded project in 2011, TM signed a new five-year letter of intent to continue supporting the work that was started under the ECBP and continue sourcing schisandra from the Pingwu Shuijing TCM Cooperative, ensuring a sustainable supply partnership for years to come.

Thanks to these efforts, the Chinese government authorized the FairWild Standard in 2016, the first comprehensive sustainable certification of its kind for use in China. And finally, in 2017, after nearly a decade of due diligence, cooperation with many international organizations and experts, and surprising results, China adopted the Giant Panda Friendly Products Standards, now a Chinese national standard. Traditional Medicinals is proud to be the world’s first company to feature Giant Panda Friendly-certified products and proud to have our EveryDay Detox® tea as a history-making product. We applaud Josef for his tireless efforts, and we are honored to have his legacy woven into our company’s history.

You Might Also Enjoy

Shop All
Popular
Nettle_3D front facing box Introducing our new industrially compostable tea wrapper! Coming soon to a tea near you

Nettle Leaf Tea

Nettle Leaf supports joint health and overall wellness
Popular
Traditional Medicinals logo. Daily. Herbal. Organic Dandelion Leaf & Root. Balanced & Earthy. Detox + Kidney Health. Caffeine Free. 16 Wrapped Tea Bags. Herbal Supplement. NET WT .99 OZ (28g). USDA ORGANIC logo Dandelion Leaf & Root (Taraxacum officinale). This blend supports kidney function and healthy digestion.

Dandelion Leaf & Root Tea

Dandelion Leaf & Root supports digestion & kidney health while aiding the body's natural detoxification process
Popular
Roasted Dandelion Root Tea packaging box Roasted dandelion root stimulates the liver and supports healthy digestion

Roasted Dandelion Root Tea

This blend stimulates the liver and supports healthy digestion

EveryDay Detox® Schisandra Berry Tea

This blend stimulates the liver and supports the body's natural detoxification process

EveryDay Detox® Lemon Tea

This blend promotes healthy skin and supports the body's natural detoxification process

EveryDay Detox® Dandelion Tea

This blend stimulates the liver and supports the body's natural detoxification process

Related Articles

View All

Herbal Basics: Adaptogens 101

We can all agree that sometimes our natural rhythm falls out of step. We live in a world where it is easy to take on too much, flaring up stress,...

Dandelion Date Shake

By Sarah Kate Benjamin of The Kosmic Kitchen If you've never had a date shake you're in for a real Southern California treat. Invented in the 1930's by a date...

A Conversation with Nioma Narissa Sadler: Empowering Women and Transforming Communities

Author: Jules Benefico Join us for an insightful conversation with Nioma Narissa Sadler, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, and Goodwill Ambassador at Traditional Medicinals®. Nioma is not only...

Voices Are For Using, Not Losing™: Get to know Jake & Shelby Singer/Songwriter Duo

Jake & Shelby, the dynamic pop duo aged 18 and 19, are rapidly climbing the music charts with their mature and fresh sound, drawing inspiration from John Mayer, Madison Cunningham,...

Identity Herbalism with Erin Masako Wilkins of Herb Folk Medicine

Erin Masako Wilkins is an Asian American herbalist and acupuncturist. She has been a practicing herbalist for over a decade specializing in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine. She aims to...

Celebrating the Holidays and the Planet

Tis the season of green! We are proud to announce that we at Traditional Medicinals have joined forces with the Environmental Media Association (EMA), using our voices to elevate eco-consciousness...

Q&A with Rosemary Gladstar, “Godmother of Modern Herbalism” and Traditional Medicinals Co-Founder

Photo taken by Danielle Cohen Meet Rosemary Gladstar, known as the godmother of modern herbalism, she has captivated a global audience with her wealth of knowledge and passion for herbal...

Voices are for Using, Not Losing™: Tips from a Celebrity Voice Coach

Meet RAab Stevenson, singer, songwriter, vocal coach, arranger, producer, artist and developer. Robert “RAab” Stevenson has worked with some of the most famous voices and producers heard on pop radio...

How Tea can Protect Ecosystems: FairWild collection with the BBC Storyworks Commercial Production

Climate change is altering landscapes. It’s harming global ecosystems and the people who depend on them. Over 40% of medicines found in western pharmacies are derived from plants, many of...

We Stand With the People of Ukraine

We Stand With the People of Ukraine. We have stood with the wild herb collectors in the verdant fields and hills of Ukraine. When our founder, Drake Sadler, visited, he...

After-Meal Drinks for Holiday Digestion

It’s the time of year when many of the simple joys of life become the heart and center of this season – spending time with family and friends, the coziness...

Introducing Immune Zoom Lemon Ginger

Life can be busy, and while we try to stay prepared, sometimes we need extra support. This is when we turn to herbal allies that boost our immune system when...