FairWild Foundation welcomes Mike Brook to the Board of Trustees

Zürich, December 2017 – This year saw the expansion of the FairWild Foundation Board of Trustees, with the welcoming of Mike Brook to the Board. His nomination was approved at the FairWild Annual Board meeting in July 2017. Mike now joins the seven other Trustees of the Foundation; a non-profit charitable organisation registered in Zurich, Switzerland.

Mike Brook is the Founder Director of the Organic Herb Trading Company, UK. Passionate about organic herbs, Mike has built a business based on lasting relationships with growers worldwide, and has also pioneered organic production in the UK. He started by supplying herbalists from his own organic herb fields, and has since transformed the Organic Herb Trading Company to supply a diverse range of customers in the herbal tea, food, health & beauty and medicinal markets, including some of the UK's leading organic brands.

Mike will serve a three-year term as Trustee of the FairWild Foundation – helping to chart the course for the further development of the FairWild initiative, and ensure the organisation stays true to its mission and achieves impact for wild plant populations and the livelihoods of harvesters worldwide.

"I was very pleased to be invited to join the FairWild Board. Commitment to the sustainable use of wild resources and equitable trade relations with people involved in harvesting of the plant ingredients are deeply held values, embedded in the FairWild Standard. I look forward to contributing to FairWild Foundation’s mission to transform practices throughout the supply chain of wild-collected products, to reach sustainability."

Mike Brook

In addition to his role at Organic Herb Trading Company, Mike has provided consultancy services for intergovernmental agencies, NGOs and ethical businesses including Oxfam, CBI and Traidcraft. He has previously served on a number of prominent industry committees and boards including the Soil Association Standards Board and the Board of Trustees of the Union for Ethical BioTrade.

As reported in our August newsletter, a number of other changes have recently taken place in FairWild’s Board of Trustees. In July 2017, Franziska Staubli was elected to the position of Chair of the Board. One of FairWild’s original founders, Franziska had acted in this role in an interim capacity since January 2017, following the unexpected passing away of Klaus Duerbeck in December 2016. Franziska brings a wealth of experience from both the development sector and industry to the role of Chair. She will be assisted in this challenge by Josef Brinckmann, in the position of Deputy Chair.

All FairWild Board members serve in their individual capacity, and do not act as representatives of any other organisation. Learn more here about the FairWild Board of Trustees and Secretariat in the FairWild Foundation Governance document, and current membership of the Board.