Marking 45th anniversary, Nuherbs receives FairWild Certification

Not only is Nuherbs celebrating its 45^th anniversary, but the company has also recently received a FairWild certification for its Schisandra ingredient. The third generation, family-owned suppliers of Chinese herbs is led by Wilson Lau.

Native to the area of Northern China, Schisandra chinensis is a climbing vine plant known for its small red berries. It’s used in Chinese medicine as a revitalizing tonic. According to the press release, if the plant is overharvested, local wildlife, along with the ecosystem suffer from its effects. The FairWild certification means that Nuherbs is utilizing certified sustainable ingredients and is not participating in overharvesting. The press release states that the certification is not only for the dried herb but also processed ingredients, such as extracts.

“Nuherbs long-term view in all of our decisions includes ensuring the botanicals we champion will be available for future generations, which is why working towards FairWild certification was important to us,” said Wilson Lau, president of Nuherbs. “We work directly with wildcrafters at the field level as a pathway to ensuring sustainable procurement.”

The 2026 schisandra harvest will be Certified Organic for Nuherbs as well.

“An ingredient that is FairWild certified is one where its landscape is stewarded with care and consideration for the entire ecosystem, and workers’ rights are tantamount to supporting their livelihoods and traditions,” the press release mentions. “The FairWild Standard is recognized as the best practice for wild plant sourcing by the Convention of Biological Diversity, the Sustainable Herbs Initiative, and recognized by Fair for Life.”

To be deemed FairWild certified, companies need to have annual onsite audits by authorized certification bodies for their ingredients to receive the certification.

“We are thrilled to work with a company like Nuherbs, which has sustainability built into its infrastructure,” said Deborah Vorhies, CEO of FairWild. “Wilson asks important questions about how the Nuherbs team can assure future generations, from the point of harvest to the consumer, access to wild ingredients like schisandra. We are delighted to support Nuherbs on its sustainability journey and look forward to working together more in the future.”

“Although this year’s schisandra crop has already been sold through, we are having conversations with brands about next year’s crop,” Wilson said. “We are working on expanding these programs and invite industry members to partner with us for future advances in meeting consumers' sustainability preferences.”