Partnerships in the Herb Industry

In 2022, filmmaker Terry Youk and I visited western Nepal with Samir Newa, founder of The Organic Valley, a Nepali company sourcing ginger from rural farmers to learn about a joint project supported by Martin Bauer, Pukka Herbs, and Yogi Tea. The trip arose because of relationships formed through the Sustainable Herbs Initiative Learning Labs.

Several of the employees who were part of this project have moved to new companies. Even so, this video shows that real change can begin to happen when competitors become collaborators.

They’re tackling big challenges head-on: food security for farming families, climate change risks in supply chains, and making agriculture a viable future for young people. And they’re doing it not by guarding trade secrets, but by sharing them—visiting each other’s suppliers, comparing notes, and building trust across the table.

As one speaker put it: “The benefits of collaboration far outweigh any potential risks of information sharing… everyone in this collaborative effort has this very genuine passion and intention.”