The American Herbal Products Association’s (AHPA) 2011-2013 Tonnage Survey Questionnaire is now available online. According to AHPA, this survey is essential to helping defend ongoing sustainable harvest of North American herbs and is directed toward primary raw material producers, as defined in the questionnaire.
 
The eighth edition of the survey will track 46 herbal commodities representing 40 species, including popular ingredients such as American ginseng, black cohosh, cascara sagrada, Echinacea, saw palmetto, slippery elm, and witch hazel. Similar to previous AHPA tonnage surveys, this survey continues to focus on select North American herbs that are produced in part from wild-harvested population. In addition to this survey, AHPA will be starting another survey to track select economically-important North American herbs that are mostly cultivated.
 
The AHPA Tonnage Survey is considered “a vital index of native U.S. botanical consumption,” according to the Fish and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and a key resource in support of this effort.
 
AHPA requests industry companies complete and return the survey by August 15, 2014.
 
“While harvest information is already available in its components to individual companies, it is a more powerful tool when harvest amounts are tabulated to include combined total usage,” noted Maged Sharaf, Ph.D., AHPA’s chief science officer. “By working together in this manner, AHPA and the community of companies who are in the business of herbs can gain valuable information that helps us all to plan for sustainable growth and stability. All information will be treated with strict confidence, such that no individual company’s data will be disclosed to any other party. Participation in this survey demonstrates the exceptional unity of the industry in our desire to benefit the health of all.”
 
Industry companies are asked to participate by downloading and completing the survey questionnaire by August 15 and referring other producers to the survey. A survey background and detailed instructions are included with the questionnaire. Please direct any questions about the AHPA Tonnage Survey to Dr. Sharaf, via email or by phone at 301.588.1171 x103.